14 Ways to Empower Girls to Get Through Emotional Bullying

It’s that time of year again where love is in the air. All you need is love. Love is the way. And, yes indeed, love will help protect girls from emotional bullying, because love is all you need. A whole lotta love. Love is the answer. So, what’s the question?

It’s how! How do we bully-proof our girls? If we hold a space for them to love themselves, we can do it. How can we help girls to love themselves? Let me count the ways.

1. Emphasize health over beauty. Let girls know how healthy they look instead of how pretty. Here are some word choices to complete the sentence stem, “You look”: glowing, energetic, robust, vibrant, alive, or strong.
2. Encourage exercise. Exercise allows a girl to look and feel her best. She can compete against herself, measure her success, and build confidence.
3. Praise intelligence. There are many sorts of intelligence, and each girl holds her own sort: IQ, emotional intelligence (EQ), problem solving, common sense, intuition, etc. Pinpoint her type, and let her know you see it in her.
4. Provide positive role models. Be one yourself and point out others.
5. Praise talents. Every girl has a talent particular. Find it and encourage this part to shine.
6. Celebrate her uniqueness. After all, there is no one quite completely like her.
7. Let her know her value. It’s the antidote to worthlessness.
8. Give her authentic praise. Call attention to what she does well, and make sure it’s accurate. Kids know what they do and don’t do well, so false praise isn’t helpful.
9. Make sure she has fun. Knowing how to have fun is a skill everyone needs in order to recharge the energetic batteries.
10. Help her to have dreams and create goals to achieve them. Self-esteem can’t be given. It’s built by accomplishing something one sets out to do.
11. Listen. It’s that simple. One of the greatest gifts anyone can give is the gift of listening.
12. Encourage taking chances. Perfectionists don’t like to take chances, but self-esteem is built through trying and achieving.
13. Let her go. Allow a girl to try her wings and fly. She needs guidance, not hovering.
14. Shower her with appreciation. Have you told her lately that you love her?These words are more than lyrics to a song. Girls need to know they are loved unconditionally in order to maintain a strong self-image.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE?

You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Bullying strategists Jane Balvanz and Blair Wagner publish GAPRA's bi-weekly articles. If you’re ready to guide children in grades K – 12 through painful friendships and emotional bullying!

For help with emotional bullying: http://www.gapraconnect.com/

For the When Girls Hurt Girls® program: http://www.awaythrough.com/