GETTING BULLIED Blogger:Being Sane Takes Too Much Work

1 out of 5 kids get bullied. Some children are bullied so bad, they end up being home schooled. A CDC study found that around 600,000 teens missed a day or more because of safety concerns in the 2011-2012 school year. The organization Free2Luv (free2luv.org) has been credited by some parents as helping their children rediscover their self-worth. Free2Luv is hoping to end the epidemic by having a kid-led movement. They would like your child to post a photo of a sign reading "Friends don't let friends bully" to Instagram and tag it #millionsignmission and #free2luv. In a survey by Sesame Workshop most parents said it is more important for their kids to be polite than empathetic. "Bullies can be skilled at having manners around adults," says Jennifer Kotler Clarke, Ph.D., the nonprofit's vice president of research and evaluation. "We need to focus on the actual behaviors". Young kids can watch the 2017 season of Sesame Street about kindness. It just premiered on HBO. For older kids, look up the parent resources at kindness.sesamestreet.org. "Being kind doesn't always come easy- sometimes it's a choice that takes courage," says CEO of Stomp Out Bullying. "The more you talk about it at home, the more your kids will remember they have a choice when they're out in the world." Go to stompoutbullying.org and click KIND under the campaigns tab. Kids who wear glasses are more likely to be bullied by 37%. Nearly four years ago, Laura and Ben Harrison's son, Jonas was born blind. To gain his sight, he has undergone 21 surgeries. His parents knew he would need glasses and he would be a target for bullies. They decided to create a line of fashionable eye wear for children. For every pair of Jonas Paul frames sold, families in need will receive a pair of corrective glasses, treatments that prevent blindness and vitamin A supplements. This has impacted more than 22,000 children since 2013. "Even if your kid's vision is 20/20, you can still pay it forward," says Laura Harrison. It could be by complimenting a kid's glasses. Just saying "Cool glasses!" or a few words of encouragement can help.