Bullying starts in preschool and the impact increases as children develop. Irrespective of wherever you read, always somewhere in the range of 40 and 80 percent of the school children confess to having been bullied or harassed. So obviously, our way of life bears some duty regarding the certainty of bullying and harassment.

Tragically, the schools are still battling to execute powerful methodologies, and the situation is deteriorating. The effect of social media and bullying, appearing as cyberbullying expanded the base to affect the students mentally. The children need to be protected, and more schools have to start addressing such issues more seriously.

Modern School ECNCR-Delhi is a premier CBSE School in Delhi. The school has taken extra precautionary steps to end any such tormenting behaviour and torture in any form.

“If children have been accustomed from the start to having their world-respected, they will have no trouble later in life recognizing disrespect directed against them in any form and will rebel against it on their own.”- Alice Miller

Students must be deliberate to seek help in situations like these. But for children who need help, the teachers and parents must jump in and take charge.

1. Managing relationships

The best way to hold youngsters back from being bullied, or turning into one, is to ensure they experience a childhood full of love and care in cherishing, conscious connections, unlike the ones that use force or power to control them. Kids learn the two sides of each relationship, and they can act it is possible that one. When you punish, your kid will discover that actual brutality is the best approach to react to relational issues. The examination has more than once settled that truly training a kid is related to additional harassing practices.

2. Sticking through with the child in all situations

Quiet and shy children are the source of the bullies. Also, these kids are embarrassed that they’re being bullied, so they won’t talk about it to their teachers, friends, or parents. If your kid realizes that you will consistently stay with them and that you have their back, they are bound to chat with you about things that trouble them.

3. Keeping lines of communication open

How would you ensure your child will tell you about what troubles them? Keep in mind, nurturing is 80% connection formation – a cozy relationship with your kid – and just 20% teaching. The direction will not stick except if you have the relationship to help it, and will simply drive your child away. So, focus on your relationship with your youngster, and keep those lines of trust open, regardless.

4. Modeling respect for others

If you lose your temper and insult out other people on the road while driving, you’re showing your child that sometimes it’s alright to disregard others. On the other hand, if you don’t cause a ruckus, and do not call out other people, it’s an ideal opportunity to change that. Your child is learning from you. Test yourself before passing judgments to others. You are being noticed; your child might pick up the wrong things from your behavior. It is always better to tone yourself down, especially when you children around you.

Modern school online admission form is open for all students to apply and check out more anti-bullying and anti-ragging guidelines.

Educating oneself on bullying and cyberbullying is key to protecting children

Couples, single parents and educators need to be vigilante to research proven strategies of detection and bullying prevention, both online and at school.  Likewise, children should be encouraged to learn themselves with guidance so they will be equipped to deal with any harmful situation they are exposed to.

Continue to Learn:

Common signs your child might be getting bullied.
The impact of security cameras on bullying prevention in schools.

Alphabet, or letter recognition, is a foundational skill that is essential for learning to read and write. Children with a solid grasp of letter recognition can identify both upper and lowercase letters, in different contexts, in any order.  Letter recognition goes beyond singing the “ABCs,” which only teaches children to recite the alphabet from memory.

To be proficient with letter recognition, children also need to be able to distinguish the physical characteristics of each letter.  Letter recognition can begin at a very young age, with reading babies and toddlers alphabet books.

There are tremendous benefits to reading aloud to children, and books about the alphabet are no exception. Alphabet books provide children with exposure to letter names and their appearance. There are board books, storybooks, and books written in rhyme to choose from.

After your new baby arrives at home, education on letters and words is the last thing on your mind, even though their learning journey as already begun.  As children get older, they may begin recognizing some letters of personal significance, beginning with the letters in their name.

It is not uncommon for children to recognize the first letter in their name and later, to begin identifying others. This is a great starting point for teaching letter recognition. Take advantage of teachable moments to point out letters in the environment. For example, show your child how the letter on the sign is the same as the letter in her name.

Young children can benefit from tactile ways to interact with letters. One way to provide these opportunities is through the use of alphabet puzzles. In addition to the letters, alphabet puzzles often use pictures to represent the sound each letter makes. This is a great way for children to start associating letters with a picture, which can act as a cue to its sound.

Another tactile way for children to use letters is through the use of playdough. They can create the letters, either on their own, or with the help of a playdough mat that shows the outline of each letter.

Alphabet printables provide many different ways for children to work with letters. Choose from activities like mazes, spinners, tracing sheets, letter hunts, and flip books. These activities help children learn the letter names, distinguish their physical characteristics, and begin learning the sound each letter makes.

It can be helpful to have the alphabet displayed for children to refer to. This can be a premade alphabet chart or cards that you purchase from a store. Typically, they show the correct formation of each letter along with a picture that represents the letter sound. Alternatively, you can involve children in the creation of alphabet cards and have them choose pictures or items that represent each letter sound.

Having them choose the pictures can make the activity more meaningful and help them remember the sounds more easily. For example, children may choose to associate the letter “f” with a frog. The hope is that when they see the letter “f” in another context, they will think of the frog and be cued to the correct sound an”f” makes.

When focusing on letter recognition, it is important for children to learn both the upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet. In addition to the activities outlined above, matching provides another way for children to see the physical differences between upper- and lowercase letters. Provide them with opportunities to use materials like magnetic letters, letter tiles, stamps, or stickers to match the upper- and lowercase letters. It can be overwhelming to work with the entire alphabet, so begin with a few known letters and add in one or two new ones.

There are lots of ways to teach children the letters of the alphabet. Choose different activities to keep them engaged and provide lots of encouragement as they begin the exciting journey of becoming a reader!

Do Babies Always Respond to Their Name?

The road to being a stepparent is not an easy one. You will face many challenges. These include but are not limited to family dynamic changes, scheduling conflicts, child support payments, and compromising with the exs’. Connecting with your stepchildren is the hardest. Even more, when you are being a stepparent to school-aged children.

Challenges of Being A Stepparent to School-Aged Children:

 Divorce does not affect adults alone. Children too, bear the brunt of dissolving and forming new families. They have to come to terms with the absence of a parent, changes in routines, living arrangements, and many more. And these changes are perceived differently by children at different ages.

Research states that children between the ages of 9-15 years have more trouble adjusting to their new step parenting situation. They were more likely to feel sad, rejected, and betrayed by their parents for divorcing. They might also worry about their:

• Living environment: In event of changes to living arrangements, or the sale of the family home, children would have to adjust to being in a new environment. They would be away from the comfort of their home and will find it difficult to accept a place shared with you, their stepparent, as their own.
• Responsibilities and routines: Every family has designated roles and responsibilities for each family member, as well as a routine they follow. This structure is disrupted when you blend or form new families.
• Addressing stepparents: They will have difficulty deciding on how to address you. Unlike toddlers or preschoolers, school-aged children and older teens may be uncomfortable addressing you as ‘mom/dad.’ This hesitancy can stem from their anger or resentment towards you, or to avoid being disloyal to their bio-parent.

In fact, they would be less accepting of their step-parents, blaming them for their parents’ breakup or for being an obstacle to their reunion.

As a stepparent to school-aged children, you will find yourself constantly battling:

• Anger and resentment of your place in the new family. The child may never consider you a figure of authority and may try to undermine your authority over them.
• Their rejection of your attempts to build a family or connect with them.

As stepparents to school-aged children, be prepared to hear, ‘You’re not my parent!” a lot.

Stepparents to School-Aged Children: Red Flags:

 The first step to being awesome stepparents to school-aged children is to be aware of your challenges and to understand the child. It can help you take measures to build a nurturing and positive relationship with them.

We’ve understood the challenges, now let’s learn about some potential red flags that can be your stepchild’s cry for help in adjusting to the new situation. These include:

• A sudden decline in academic performance.
• Disinterest and passive participation in social and extracurricular activities.
• Sudden mood fluctuations, between sadness, and anger.
• Being hostile and defensive with both you and their bio-parents.

How to be a stepparent to school-aged children?

Here are some suggestions to help you build a positive relationship with your step kids:

Be realistic: You can wish for things to be perfect, but chances are it won’t be. Be realistic and accept that things might proceed slowly. Understand and accept your challenges, and commit to connecting with each child. With time and effort, they will learn to accept, and even if not love, will learn to like you.

Give space: It’s easier to smoothen things with the younger ones. School-aged children, not so much. This is why it’s important to give kids space to acclimatize to the new changes, including you. Instead of pushing the child to form a relationship with you, give them the reins, allowing them to set the pace of the connection. This is especially true when children are adjusting to the dynamics of co-parenting.

Communicate: Communication includes both talking and listening. Be transparent, open, and share your thoughts and feelings. This will give kids a chance to understand you and will help you build a rapport with them. Over time, they may feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and lives with you.

Include kids in all family discussions. It will allow them to share their thoughts and feedback, as all decisions impact them too. It can also help makes them feel included as a part of the new family.

Be original: Try not to take the place of their bio-parents. Talk to your step kids and help them understand that you are not looking to replace or compete with their parents. You can be their friend, or confidante, or play any role depending on the child’s needs.

Let Your Actions Talk: Help kids understand that you are committed to them and love them. Your actions can help them feel secure and confident in you. Follow through your promises, and ensure that you are there for the family as required, pickup-drop off, at school recitals and sports matches. It will always be the little actions that count.

Set Boundaries: Every family has its set of do’s and don’ts with regards to chores, routines, and behavior. You should set yours too. Collaborate with the children to decide on rules acceptable to all. Remind kids that as a family, you’re all bound to follow the rules formed and that some behaviors will not be accepted.

Find Interests: Find a common ground and share your love for it with your step kids. Be it sports, arts, cooking, or even crafts, share your love for the same to help them maintain a positive attitude. While building your relationship, remember to be genuine in your attempts as kids are more perceptive than we give them credit.

Connect with the bio-parent: Set aside your differences and compromise with the parent for your stepchild’s greater good. You all want what is best for the children, so why not work on it together? Be it for schedules, routines, or disciplinary methods, try to communicate and set consistent rules and boundaries to give each child more stability and to help them grow confidently.

Building a blended family is never too difficult. Being a stepparent to school-aged children is no different from being a parent. It both takes your time, effort, and unconditional love. And slowly, but surely, you will become friends with your step kids.

Author: Sarah Joseph:  An Occupational therapist, freelance content writer, and more importantly a stay-at-home mom, Sarah, like all other parents juggles her many roles. Her passion for writing combined with her professional expertise as an Occupational therapist (working with children with special needs) has helped her craft content specific to child health, wellness, and learning skills. At present, Sarah alternates her time between raising her two young children, and writing about what she knows best- children!

Additional Resources:

• Tips for establishing internet safety while co parenting.
• How you can boost your child’s academic success.

A playground is a promising setting for kids. It is known to offer emotional, social and physical benefits to all age groups. But it could soon turn into breeding grounds for injuries without proper planning and maintenance. This can influence parents’ willingness to take their children to the playground, since it will impact their perception of safety.

Most caregivers look for a whole range of features to ensure that kids are protected against unfortunate events during outdoor play.  They also want to feel confident that kids are protected at school when only a small number of supervisors are monitoring activities on school grounds.

Therefore, it is important to ensure playground equipment does not have faulty structures and improper surfaces that will ruin the fun and create risky situations. The good news is that there are ample preventive measures that can minimize such hazards. They can make sure that community parks and school playgrounds are solely identified as places of adventure, joy and imagination.

Here’s what you can do as a responsible park authority or school administrator.

Safety Surfacing

An appropriate surface under equipment is a good way to reduce injuries due to falls. Pick materials that are certified to meet all applicable ASTM standards like F1951 and F1292. The best safe surfacing options include loose-fill solutions, engineered wood fiber, and loose-fill rubber, turf, bonded rubber and poured-in-place rubber. Kids might still get hurt but the injuries will not be as severe as a fall on to a concrete surface.

Shade Structures

Constantly playing under the sun can lead to a multitude of complications. The most common is sunburns. It can cause painful skin reactions due to ultraviolet (UV) light exposure and major damage like skin cancer over the years. Precautions should be taken to protect children from sunburn.  Wrinkles, premature skin ageing, itching and blisters are also possible. Kids can also experience weakness, confusion and faintness due to excessive sunlight exposure. Shade structures can come to the rescue. Pick from hip shades, sail shades, umbrella shades and cantilever shades, according to the existing style and theme of your playground.

Age-Appropriate Play

Separate areas are vital to accommodate children of different ages. A little one who has just learned to walk might not be able to cope with high-energy older kids. Pushes, pulls and clashes might end up hurting both groups. So, create separate enclosures to increased playground safety. Consider investing in different play structures made for infants, toddlers and adolescents. These usually are designed with distinct colors, gears, heights and mirrors. They help to develop sensory and communication skills and achieve different childhood development goals.

Proper Lighting

Dark and isolated areas are good opportunities for crime. Consider bright lights to help parents monitor their children from a distance. Consider LED lamps and streetlamps. You can also consider high-intensity sports lights in urban parks. They can ensure safe play at night. Glow-in-the-dark lights are also ideal along trails. Well-lit playgrounds are safer and more appealing to parents.

Encourage caretakers to keep an eye on the children at all times. They must also notify the local ground operator about safety concerns as a means of preventing playground injuries. Further, children should not wear clothes with drawstrings and chords to avoid the risk of strangulation during play.