Is Your Kid a Bully?

Just who is a bully?? A bully is YOUR KID. A bully is someone who tries to control others through intimidation or violence. They pick on kids that are alone and that do not have a strong network of friends. They steal from other kids or destroy their property. Is this your kid?

Bullies do not know how to get attention in positive ways. To get attention they do what they have to. Many bullies think that bullying is just a fun game. They feel justified in picking on others because it makes them feel they are winning.

A bully does not always feel great about him or herself. They tend to have very low self-esteem no matter how much they swagger around or push others around. They pick on kids who are not hr fringe and rarely use their bullying powers for good.

The bully is often lonely and needs to find true friends. Weirdly, many are quite charismatic and can be excellent leaders despite their violent ways.

One distressing thing to realize is that bully is a learned trait. If you are dealing with a kid that is related to you that is bullying others you need to sit down and be honest with yourself and realize that the kid learned it from someone k- most likely you! Bullies who don't change their ways in when they are young to prevent adulthood filled with violence and aggression. These antisocial behaviors often result in employment problems, difficulty maintaining healthy relationships and even criminal behavior. That's why it is your duty as a parent to make sure that a kid that is bullying experiences strong negative consequences for doing it.

A bully is anti-social and the behavior can be hard to change. Parents also should make school officials aware of any bullying that is occurring, whether the victim is their child or someone else's child. School officials need to know, and so do the bully's parents. The bullyingneeds to be called out and named, but without shaming the bully who after all is motivated by fear and low-esteem.

If necessary you need to take an aggressive kid to a psychologist for behavior modification training. The good news is that the cycle of bullying can be ended if you train the child to think differently about himself (or herself) and others early on. It also helps to check your own behavior to see how you are somehow teaching your child to pick on others.

Parenting Tips
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Stocking Your Cupboards With Healthy Stuff

Do you want you and your kids to get super-healthy? Throw out all of the crap in your fridge that is not good for you and the kids and replace it with healthy stuff.

Here is an idea of what should be on your new grocery list –
• Irish steel-cut oats. Oats do contain some gluten, but for most people they are quite tolerable and they are okay to have during a cleanse.

• Mixed-grain hot cereals. Be sure they’re gluten- and sugar-free—and this means no honey or maple syrup

• Rice cakes. Stay away from the ones with too much sodium or funky flavorings (like sour cream and onion rice cakes!)

• Flax crackers

• Gluten-free bread. There are many delicious alternatives to the usual bread you buy. Try some sprouted breads, as they are easier to digest and are less processed.

• Sweet potatoes, yams

• Grains: brown or wild rice, millet, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, corn.

• Nuts: almonds, walnuts, cashews, soy nuts, macadamia nuts, filberts, etc.

• Seeds: sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, hemp, flax. Flaxseeds must be freshly ground rather than eaten whole, otherwise you won't get full nutritional benefit.

• Nut or seed butters: almond butter, tahini, cashew butter, peanut butter (all unsweetened))

• Beans and legumes: black beans, lentils, chickpeas, lima beans, adzuki beans, black-eyed peas and fava beans. Dried ones are best

• Vegetables: kale, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, zucchini, eggplant, collard greens, squash of all kinds, tomatoes, etc.

• Mushrooms

• Salad: arugula, radicchio, endive, mixed greens, peppers, avocado, tomato, radish,

• Fruits: apples, raspberries, cherries, peaches, blueberries, goji berries; frozen fruits for smoothies

• Citrus and exotic fruits lemons, limes, and unsweetened pomegranate juice for sparkling-water cocktails

• Herbal teas such as mint, chamomile and fennel.

• Nondairy milk, such as rice, almond, hemp, or soy milk (unsweetened)

• Healthy sweeteners: xylitol, agave nectar, and stevia for smoothies, milks, cereals and baked goods.

• Extra-virgin olive oil, expeller-pressed organic canola, high-oleic versions of sunflower and safflower oils, walnut oil, and flaxseed oil (the last is good to pour over things like salad or baked yam, but not to cook with).

• Seasonings: garlic, ginger, tamari; Himalayan crystal or Celtic sea salt. Regular table salt is bleached and stripped of minerals

• Flours to cook or bake with: bean, pea, soy, potato, buckwheat, tapioca, nut and seed, arrowroot, and rice. There are also prepackaged flour mixes that cater to the gluten-free shopper.

• Popcorn

• Corn chips

• Guacamole

• Hummus

• Frozen spinach, broccoli, and cauliflower to throw into smoothies . . . you won’t even taste it!

• Vegetarian stock for cooking

Try some prepared foods from health food stores. They are often very tasty and nutritious too.

Parenting Tips
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