A Hot Topic

Having kids with Autism is an interesting adventure. It pushes your creativity and expands the way you think.  Often children with Autism see the world very cut and dry, black and white. The gray areas are a special challenge. We have to use every opportunity to expand and explain these areas. All kids have a very keen eye and are very observant. Relationships and peoples behavior are often not easy to explain.

I think it is especially important we teach our kids to stand up for themselves. Individuals with rough starts in life or for some other reason for a lack of a better way to put it are just mean often pass on their hurt by bullying others.  Often our kids are easy targets for bullying which makes the thought of our children running into and being able to identifying who the bullies are even scarier.

So here is my bit of advice.  Teach them to always talk to others for help, protect themselves, and remind them that the actions of a bully have more to do with the feelings they have about themselves then those they hurt.  Teach them to follow their gut instinct.  I guess that is the hard part teaching them who those people are. That is where the difficulty lies, our kids and being able to protect themselves, fully process and communicate to us what is going on.

A bully gains power by making others feel weak, alone or ganged up on. If you start to feel that way, your dealing with a bully. A bully will try and make themselves a main character in your life's play, they are unrelenting.  If you feel like someone is always just trying to cause trouble and being plain mean you are probably dealing with a bully. A bully will always get satisfaction at someone else's expense and are always grasping at control.  If you see someone being bullied or personally feel bullied call it out, so your kids know what it looks like. Talk to your kids, teach them the signs so they can steer clear from bullies. Not easy lessons at all but so important for our kids who are often so easily targeted.

Also teach them like everything else in this world bullies come in all forms. Kids on a playground, family, supposed friends, strangers, coworkers, teachers, coaches, could be anyone, you name it they take every shape and form.  Teach your kids to know in their heart bullies do things because of their own hurt and that it has nothing to do with your kids. Teach our kids to ignore what the bullies would like them to believe about themselves and that instead they are special, beautiful, smart and fun individuals that deserve respect, and love. Reinforce that no individual has the right to bully another or make them feel like any less of a person. Teach them to be ok with people voicing their opinions and being themselves, differences are a beautiful thing.  So teach, teach, then teach again, show by example and pray.