Advocating Against School Bullying

Back to school is always a new adventure for parents and kids, but inevitably comes with challenges. One challenge that our special guest, Heather Hansen, advocates against is school bullying.Heather is a trial lawyer with over 20 years of experience, a consultant and a professional speaker. She was recently inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers and is consistently named one of the Top 50 Female Attorneys in the state of Pennsylvania. She has appeared on CNN, NBC, Fox News Channel, and Good Day Philadelphia, and is the host of The Elegant Warrior podcast.She combines her courtroom experience with her psychology degree and her training as a mediator to help her clients ask better questions, master objections, and use credible persuasion to succeed.Her 4-P advice for kids and parents:Pause - they don’t have to react right away. Most of the time if they are facing a bully or a “mean” teacher, there’s time to walk away and address it later.Plan - then they can come home and plan for their advocacy. This is where questions come in. How could they handle the problem? What do they want to say? How do they want to say it?Practice - playing it out with your children is a great way to make sure they are not only ready but comfortable. I’d never step into trial without practicing, and your kids shouldn’t face their trials without practice either. (nor should adults!)Play - when they get into the situation, all they have to do is “press play” on what they’ve prepped and practiced. They can go into the situation confident that they have the tools they need and that the conversation or interaction could even be fun!Listen to our full conversation and learn strategies Heather teaches students about how to advocate for themselves!Connect with Heather Hansen on Facebook @HeatherHansenPresents, Twitter @ImHeatherHansen, Instagram @ImHeatherHansen, YouTube, or visit www.heatherhansenpresents.comPlease also check out her new book: The Elegant Warrior: How to Win Life’s Trials Without Losing Yourself available on Amazon (https://amzn.to/2tcbuZn) and other fine booksellers.Get a complimentary book on Audible for signing up for a free trial!  Visit http://www.audibletrack.com/freeaudiobook to get your book now!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link.