Teach your children how to react better to bullies and bullying. There's a better way to stop being a victim so they won't feel compelled to bring guns to school.
I raised my daughters to laugh back when people laugh at them. To return a mean tease with a humorous tease or agree with them by laughing and/or pointing out another flaw of theirs the aggressor may have missed. Not to add to the hate but to stop hate by being humorous. Not to fear it but to respond with a positive attitude, especially if you can't ignore it.
One: it diffuses any chance of inciting more bullying or a fight.
Two: it keeps you from taking yourself so seriously or being too sensitive.
Three: you may make a friend and not an enemy.
You're their parent and their teacher; help them learn what to say by having practice sessions. Include the entire family ... siblings, aunts, uncles and grandparents. Besides you might learn something in the process too. Also, they won't believe you if you don't show by example and they will be watching.
It can be difficult to learn better ways, to change something within us, but it needs to start somewhere. Teach them young and they'll grow up to teach the same to their peers or when they're adults teaching their children. Hopefully, it won't be necessary because it will have stopped. Yes, it may not stop everything, or work for everyone, but it's better than doing nothing at all.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Do you want your children reacting like the top picture or the bottom?
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