Dear America: Teach Your Kids Better

Parents have a large effect on children’s behavior. Children tend to follow their parents’ lead – which can have a positive or negative effect on how they grow up.

Bullying is a big issue in schools and kids bully others for many different reasons which should not be excused for any reason. Bullying can be reduced by simply teaching your children.

Parents or guardians, first off to start this lesson you should be teaching your child how to be more polite. Start at a young age and teach them simple things like saying thank you, and please, and sorry. It goes a long way. They will have a better sense of awareness for others and can use it all their life. 

In today’s world children have less manners than they did back then which is because of evolution and we should just let it be because times change, but that has nothing to do with them not having basic manners every kid should be taught. 

Next step, be less ignorant. Parents can be ignorant when it comes to their child acting like they shouldn’t be or their child bullying other kids. Pay attention to their actions at home, with other children, and in different environments. Be more aware of your child and their behavior. Also, be aware of your behaviors at home as well. Most children pick up what happens at home, so make sure to keep it civil when you can. 

I’ve heard of many incidents (not from our school) where kids were bullied because of the food they had brought from home for lunch, because apparently it “smelled” or “looked gross”. Here’s a story about an incident involving this. Children shouldn’t be embarrassed or scared to bring in their cultural food because of what other kids have to say about it. 

Parents should also teach their children to be more accepting of others. Just because others may act differently, or look differently, or bring different food in for lunch does not make them any different from your child and they should be aware of that. Teaching them this, your kid could make other kids feel safe and able to be themselves around your child. You never know what the child goes through in their personal lives, so why add to their hardship?

Parents should let their children grow up in a household with love rather than hate. Growing up in a house filled with that kind of hate can reflect on the child and they are more likely to end up following the same path. 

Growing up with social media can be a big issue. Sometimes on TikTok I stumble upon a person either being racist, homophobic, sexist, transphobic, straight up mean, or body shaming someone. Kids that grow up seeing that stuff who aren’t aware that it’s not right can take side of that and follow along. That’s the issue with being allowed to go on social media at such a young age, if they grow up on the wrong side of it they may never leave. That’s why parents should be more aware of this type of stuff. 

Teach your child to care for others, it’s a top priority. They will grow up caring more about others feelings and feel more sympathetic towards others, while also caring for themselves.

Parents, do a better job to teach your children. It helps more than you think. You can make the world children grow up in a better place.