ALL KIDS SHOULD LEARN SELF-DEFENCE

If you feel worried about bullying, Emma says martial arts can make a real difference

Sadly, it is now more challenging than ever to stop bullies, as even after the school bell rings, kids can get attacked online. That’s why one of the most effective strategies to end a bully’s reign of terror is changing the mindset of their potential “victims”. Becoming “bully proof” takes work, but it also gives your child an invisible coat of armour emotionally. Aware my boys needed physical confidence to feel capable of managing threats, I signed them up for gymnastics and jujitsu at a young age. As teens, they started Thai boxing.

Martial arts teach restraint, focus, and discipline, and to engage in physical conflict only in self-defence. The Jiu Jitsu Foundation is offering kids free classes (apply at childcare.co.uk by 30 Nov), because when a child feels capable of defending themselves, they are less likely to feel afraid or upset when other kids taunt them. Recently, my eldest son’s friends experienced an unprovoked attack by a large group of older teens. Fortunately, they were Thai boxers and knew how to protect themselves. Without that knowledge and confidence, they could have been seriously injured. This incident brought home to me the importance of feeling able to protect yourself – and how empowering that is. Your child will grow in self-confidence, which will translate to all areas of their life – meaning that if someone is nasty at school, or on social media, those hurtful comments are less likely to impact them as badly. Try it.