SAN ANTONIO — Parents are gearing up to send their kids off to start the school year, but kids can often pushback not wanting to go.
There's multiple reasons why a child may be apprehensive to go to school or have back to school jitters. One of them is fears of bullying.
Medical experts say a great way to help your child prevent bullying is to really lead by example. How you act and respond to conflicts at home can dictate how your child handle challenges in school.
Middle school is a peak period for bullying to occur due to peer pressure and wanting to fit in, but bullying can happen at any age level.
Warning signs can include:
- Your child's grades dropping
- They don't want to go out with friends or talk about them
- There maybe massive changes in their eating or sleeping habits or they just seem off at home
Medical experts say online bulling is another factor parents have to keep in mind.
If you suspect your child is getting bullied at school, Baylor College of Medicine professor and psychologist Dr. Kelly Franco says to be open and hear what your kids have to say.
"You want to have open, loving communication with your kid about how are they feeling," said Dr. Kelly Franco. "What do they feel like happened? How would they like you to respond? And then with that information, make an educated decision as a parent about the level to which you should get yourself involved versus encouraging your child to advocate and set appropriate boundaries."
Dr. Franco added on to say avoid extreme reactions if you suspect bullying and not discount what your kid has to say.
The results in healthy conflict resolution at home can help children recognize and set their own boundaries to handle any situation at school.