To you my dear reading friends, today and all of October you are on my mind as much as I am on my own mind 😊
I hope that statement makes sense. Today is World Mental Health Day and October being Mental Health Awareness Month, there couldn’t be a better time to share this.
How much do we know about mental wellness for children?
In 2020, I shared a bit on the connection between mental health and physical health for you and your loved ones
. You can re-watch my first try at vloging here:
As a mental health enthusiast and a lawyer in the Technology space, in the course of my work I came across this and I thought, I would share this month on how to help children fight Cyberbullying and other Mean Online Behavior that may affect their mental wellness.
This is a timely post because October is mental health awareness month.
As you are aware, most kids will encounter mean behavior at some point in their digital lives.
According to the online source, for some kids, this experience is a blip that’s easily forgotten, while for others it can have deep, long-lasting effects.
For parents, the key is staying involved in your kids’ lives — both online and offline — so that you can step in and offer help/support where necessary. You will agree with me that with parental guidance and guidance from educators, children can learn how to safeguard themselves from the cyber drama and stand up for others.
Please see below some of the tips shared on the platform;
Define your terms.
Make sure kids understand what cyber bullying is: repeated and unwanted mean or hurtful words or behavior that occur online (through texts, social media posts, online chat, etc.).
Check in about online life.
Just like you’d ask your kid about their sleep, exercise, and eating, stay on top of their online life. Who are they chatting with? How do people treat each other in the games and on the sites, they’re using?
Role-play.
If kids feel like they might have trouble removing themselves from digital drama, experiment with some different ways they can make a graceful exit. Talk through words they can use, ways they can steer conversations in positive directions, etc.
Encourage upstanding.
Let kids know that supporting a friend or acquaintance who is being bullied can make a big difference. If they feel safe confronting the bully, they should. If not, a private message to the victim can be enough to help someone through a tough time. Speaking up against hate speech is important, too.
Take breaks.
If you notice your kid getting pulled into digital drama, help them take a break. It’s great if they can determine for themselves when they need to step back, but they might need some help setting limits. Putting devices to bed at a specific time, plus breaks for mealtimes and face-to-face connection, can help kids recharge.
Review worst-case steps.
Walk through what to do if your kid is being bullied online. First, step away. Ignoring a bully can be very effective. If the bullying continues, take screenshots, or print out evidence. Then block the person. If it gets worse, report the behavior to a trusted adult. Talk about who those people are and make sure your kid has their contact information.
You can learn more about cyber bullying here K–12 Family Tips: Cyberbullying, Digital Drama, & Hate Speech | Common Sense Education
You can also visit this channel for tips on mentorship for your children: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aseWMGPBDaM
Wishing you a safe cyber engagement and mental wellness month of October.
Hope & Faith,
F.I.R.M