Babaloo is teased and insulted by bullies. Babaloo can be a girl or a boy who feels pushed around by other kids. Bullies are all about hurting your feelings to see you get upset, cry, or get angry. Babaloo knows that treating others badly is a bully's way of having control over other kids, but you can learn how to have power over what is happening. You can stop the bully's attempt to control you by learning some skills to keep yourself from becoming a victim. Babaloo shows you how to use five steps to be successful. Many examples of how to use the formula are given so you can think about and practice ways to deal with bullies. Babaloo knows that showing courage with bullies will surprise them and result in them leaving you alone. Babaloo knows how you feel when others are mean to you. Throughout the book there are pictures of bullies-waiting to be colored the way you see them. At the end of the book, there are pages included to help you figure out more ways to handle your bullies. YOU can be in charge of stopping a bully's taunts!

Bullies, Beware ... Babaloo Bounces Back!

A Practical Guide for Kids Who Want to Stop Being Victims of BulliesBy Marcia Staser

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2011 Marcia Staser
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4567-6368-8

Contents

A Note to Adults.....................................ixAbout the Author and Illustrator.....................xiiiBabaloo Who?.........................................1Bounce Back, Babaloo!................................5Know the Talk........................................7The Formula..........................................11Fake It `Till You Make It............................19Practice Makes Perfect...............................23What's Next?.........................................67Your Practice Pages..................................73A Letter to the Reader...............................87

Chapter One

Babaloo Who?

Babaloo is teased and insulted by bullies. Babaloo can be a girl or a boy who feels pushed around by other kids. Bullies are all about hurting your feelings to see you get upset, cry, or get angry.

Babaloo knows that treating others badly is a bully's way of having control over other kids. It is important to get the control back so you have power over what is happening. You can stop the bully's attempt to control you by learning some skills to keep yourself from being a victim.

Babaloo shows you how to use five steps to be successful. Many examples of how to use the formula are given so you can think about and practice ways to deal with bullies. Babaloo knows that showing courage with bullies will surprise them and result in them leaving you alone.

Babaloo knows how you feel when others are mean to you.

Chapter Two

Bounce Back, Babaloo!

Treating others badly is a bully's way of having control over other kids. Bullies should get into trouble and have consequences for their behaviors, but you can help yourself by becoming more courageous so you won't be a victim anymore. Bounce back, Babaloo!

Knowing what to do when bullies taunt you is the best way to take control and change your life. Babaloo shows you how to bounce back from the mean things said to you.

The formula of five easy steps shows you how to bounce back from being a victim. The formula works and lets you take control of the situation instead of letting the bully have control.

If you practice bouncing back from insults, you will feel courageous and prepared to handle bullies. Because bullies will be wherever you go, you need to be prepared to bounce back!

Babaloo shows you how to succeed so YOU can bounce back!

Chapter Three

Know the Talk

Words you need to know to understand this book:

Bully

A bully is someone who tries to take control of you by making you feel bad about yourself. It may be a girl or a boy who tries to say things to make you feel upset, cry, or become angry.

Victim

A victim is someone who is the target of a bully. It is a girl or boy who feels pushed around by other kids. A victim cries easily, feels upset, and gets angry. Sometimes victims suffer quietly; sometimes they scream and cry.

Victimized

Being victimized can mean you let yourself be a victim. It is the act of being the victim when a bully says or does mean things to push you around, and you get upset about it.

Formula

A formula is a practical guide about how to make or do something. In this book you will learn how to stop being a victim by making yourself look and feel courageous. You will learn to follow five steps.

Response

A response is an answer. When speaking to bullies an answer makes you a winner —not a loser.

Agree

To agree with the bully is to take away his power. If you agree with him, he has no reason to keep saying mean things to you.

Counterattacks

If you argue with the bully or fight back with mean words, you will keep feeling bad. The bully will probably win because he has more practice with mean words. You want to use counterattacks that are not mean so you will be a winner.

Smile

A smile is something you wear on your face. Even when you do not feel like smiling, you can put one on your face for a minute —long enough to agree and respond!

Confident

A confident kid looks brave because he or she knows how to take control. It is what you will be if you practice the five steps to stop bullies!

Taunting

Taunting includes teasing and using insults to get you upset. Bullies do it to make you get angry, yell, cry, or scream. The bully wants to make you react in an out- of-control way to show she or he has power over you. Taunting is used by the bully to make you feel bad and to look weak. It is mean.

Trigger

A trigger is something the bully says to or about you that makes you mad. The bully may be speaking the truth or just making something up that riles you. The bully taunts you about this until you show how mad you are. If you get upset the bully will use that trigger over and over.

Chapter Four

The Formula

Bullies, beware!

This formula works:

1. Stand tall.

2. Pull your shoulders back.

3. Agree and respond.

4. Smile.

5. Walk away.

Stand tall.

Most victims appear down and out because they slump. Their heads often sag and their bodies appear limp and weak. Standing tall is the first line of defense. Even little kids who stand tall appear stronger and bigger.

Pull your shoulders back.

Victims typically slump their shoulders forward. Arms and hands appear loose and vulnerable. Pulling the shoulders back automatically causes the chest to puff out and the neck to straighten. Yes! It is a stronger look.

Agree and respond.

One of the best ways to disarm the bully is to agree with what he is saying. Agreeing with the bully is a surprise and puts the bully off-guard. If the bully calls you fat, and you really are fat, agreeing with the fact means no more can be said about it.

This allows you save face and show courage. A short response can stop the mean words and help you get out with your dignity.

Example:

The bully says "You are a fatso."

You can say, "Yes, I am too fat. That is why I am on a diet."

The bully has nothing else to say. You said it yourself!

Use humor in your response as often as possible.

Smile.

It may be a fake smile for a while, but it works.

After much practice, the smile becomes part of the new confident look. It hides that you really are upset inside and ready to cry.

Walk away.

Walking away after the response and smile is very important. Sticking around for a response from the bully is dangerous. It only leads to a new attack. Walking away immediately leaves the bully standing there, hopefully embarrassed and not sure about what to do next.

Chapter Five

Fake It 'Till You Make It

At first the smile feels fake. It is. After some practice the smile begins to feel as if it really fits on your face.

Kids who LOOK courageous soon to begin to ACT courageous. In time, they begin to FEEL courageous.

Being able to control situations with courage begins to feel easy, safe, and natural.

On the next pages you will find examples of the formula working for kids who decided to STOP being victimized by bullies.

Use the guide to...