A note to parents as summer approaches

Greetings:
The countdown to summer has begun and if your children are anything like mine, they cannot wait to be out of school or the next couple of months.  But as parents, what we need to keep up front is that the proliferation of technology has made it possible for school yard bullying to go on all summer long.  I remember as a child, how much I looked forward to the summer; because in addition to being able to have fun in the sun, it also meant that my bully could not torment me for a whole 2 1/2 months! But unfortunately, thanks to cyberspace, that summer respite no longer exists for our kids. So, if you are a parent of a child that is being bullied, please make sure that you continue to keep a watchful eye on them and remember, just because the child is not in school does not mean that the bullying has ceased. Children still have summer access to facebook, twitter, instagram and texting.  They still have their finger on the pulse of what is going on in kid world. 


CYBERBULLYING DOES NOT TAKE HOLIDAY!

So, in the meantime, what can we as parents do to make sure that we keep our children safe from summer cyber attacks?

• Make sure that you establish/continue an open dialogue with your child regarding their thoughts and feelings. 
• Continue to monitor your children's online habits.
• Always remember to pay attention to your child's moods and behaviors to determine if something is not quite right. 
• If you see something, say something.
• Try to enroll your child in some summer activities to keep them actively engaged and occupied. 

I hope these tips help you and yours navigate the summer, until then, keep courageously conversing.


Carolyn 

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