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[reginald]

Hi everybody. My 12 yo granddaughter was bullied out of primary school and is now receiving the same treatment in high school.
- She has a fantastic sense of humour and can have the family laughing hysterically with her impressions and daggy dancing.
- our daughter is an absolutely fantastic single mum to her three children, we try to be as supportive as possible.
- I didn’t know about Reachout until a google search looking for somewhere we could be able to communicate with families in similar situations.
- I think parenting in this current web mad society must be an absolute nightmare.
Having brought up two children and now with grandchildren I can only reaffirm the importance of listening, encouragement and acceptance. Unfortunately this is all made so challenging with the negative influence of social media and television.
- its an absolute delight to have our granddaughter whenever we see her.
( as I’m a grandfather I understand if I may not be accepted. I will refer my daughter to this site anyway. )

[Zig_RO]

Hi Reginald,

I want to start by saying welcome to the forums! It’s amazing to have you reach out to us I can see that you care so deeply for your family and it’s so amazing of course you’re welcome here

It's a real treat to see how you write about your granddaughter and your family, and I wanted to commend you on taking the time to research and find ways to support both your daughter and your granddaughter It is inspiring.

In terms of your granddaughter, I’d like to offer some resources we have on bullying. Bullying is something no person should ever have to go through and no one should ever have to go through it alone either, we have an article on how to cope with bullying as well as an article on how to get help when being bullied and most importantly how to look after yourself. Please let me know if any of these were helpful

The Youth Online Community is also an amazing place for young people to come and share experiences, gain insight, or even just communicate with other young people I thought maybe your granddaughter might be interested in checking it out.

You’ve spoken a lot about your family and how much you care about them and as amazing as that is, I’m curious to know how you're feeling. Do you have any self-care practices and what may those look like for you? This could be spending time with family, or time to yourself, anything you do when things are getting hard.

All the best

[missymoo13]

I have just registered with Reachout Parents for support as a parent to two children - a 20 year old son and 13 year old daughter.  Parenting can definitely be stressful at times, but also equally rewarding, if not more so.  When I am dealing with stress, I like to reach out for help, advice, and support to help me get through those challenging times.  I am also a big believer in self care, no matter how big or small that may look like, it is all positive.  I have connected with Reach Out because I lost my son to family violence (psychological/emotional), and now, I am facing the same fate with my daughter, after she was taken from me a couple of months ago and not returned to my care.  I feel let down by the very organisations and services in place to help keep children like my daughter, safe from harm, and I thought looking into something a little different, like Reachout, where I can connect with other parents going through difficult times with their own children and teens, may help me to feel more connected and less alone.  My best tip for parents whose kids are about to enter those dreaded teenage years, would be to give them the space, privacy, and indepence, they need to thrive and really come into their own, as this is the ideal time in their lives where they need to find themselves, and sometimes, we as parents, need to take a step back from them to allow them to have that opportunity.  The best thing about weekends for me as a parent, is knowing that gives me quality time with my teen, where the demands of school and normal routine don't interfere with the enjoyment of our time together.

[Lily_RO]

Hi @missymoo13 , welcome to the ReachOut community! It takes strength to reach out for support, and your willingness to connect here shows just how resilient you are as a parent. It's clear that you care deeply about your children and their well-being. 

I’m really sorry to hear about the challenges you and your family have faced and are currently facing. Dealing with family violence and the subsequent impacts on your children sounds incredibly painful and overwhelming, and I wanted to acknowledge your courage in facing such difficult circumstances. It's understandable to feel let down by systems that were meant to protect your family.

Your commitment to self-care amidst these circumstances is admirable. Taking care of yourself, no matter how small the gesture, is crucial during tough times.

Your tip for parents navigating the teenage years is insightful and reflective of your understanding of the importance of giving teens the space to grow and discover themselves. It can be really important to strike that balance between offering support and granting independence. 

I encourage you to create your own thread here to share more about your journey and to connect with other parents who may be going through similar challenges. And I wish you all the luck in finding connection and support within the ReachOut community