My 4 year old has been coming home upset from daycare. We found out he’s been dealing with some bullyin It’s hard to know how much is “normal” for kids learning social skills vs. something bigger Do we step in? Let him handle it? Parenting is tough.
Parenting is soooo hard sometimes! My kid went through something similar at 5. It broke my heart every time they came home sad, but we talked a lot about how to handle tricky situations. Eventually, they started standing up for themselves. Hang in there, you’re doing great!
I hear you. It’s so hard to know what to do when they’re little and still figuring it all out. It’s just heartbreaking to see them hurt, and I feel like there’s no easy answer.
It does get better I promise! My oldest struggled at that age too but with some gentle guidance, they learned to navigate these challenges. Now they’re a confident 8 year old who sticks up for others. You’re laying the foundation for that right now
My 3 year old is going through something similar, and I have the same questions! I wonder, are we stepping in too much if we say something to the teacher? Or are we not doing enough if we don’t? It’s so confusing. What are other parents doing?
One thing that really helped was role-playing at home. We practiced simple ways to say “stop” or walk away. Also, touching base with the teacher gave me insight I didn’t have before. They were super helpful in keeping an eye out.
these early challenges can be tough, but they’re great teaching moments. Guide your kid through how to handle conflict but stay involved enough to ensure they feel supported. Bullying can escalate if ignored, so don’t hesitate to speak up.
Oh wow, same boat here. My LO started coming home with stories about a “mean kid” too. Have you talked to the daycare staff about it? I feel like I’m not sure how to approach them without overreacting.
When my son was 4, he dealt with some bullying too. We found out it was during unstructured time, like free play. I asked the daycare to increase supervision during those periods. At home, we also talked a lot about feelings and how to ask an adult for help. It worked!
Thank you all for the advice and support. We’ve been hesitant to bring it up with the daycare, but after reading your comments, I think we’ll talk to them and also try practicing responses at home. It helps to know this phase is normal but also something we can help him through.