Intervene and talk to the children. Never expect children to sort out bullying behavior. A firm but calm approach is necessary to send a message that bullying is not accepted at preschool. Stopping bullying at preschool is a priority because it can affect the mental and physical health of the children's entire school year.
Listen to the children's stories. Tell the involved children that you cannot help them unless they tell you what happened. Listen to their stories without judging or blaming. Often there are two sides to a story, and wrongly accusing the child who is the "bully" makes the situation worse. The bully feels that everyone is blaming her, which makes it difficult to establish trust and to help her change her behavior.
Talk about bullying. Discuss with the preschoolers how they want to be treated. Let children suggest ways that other children can treat them, and ways that they can treat other children. Write down the suggestions and help preschoolers to learn ways to treat each other. Focus on the positive actions, such as being a friend on the playground by letting everyone take turns on the swings.
Read books about bullying. Search the library for books about bullying from both the victims' and the bullies' points of view. Use the material to discuss how bullying makes you feel, and explore reasons why someone may be bullying other children.
Talk about feelings. Lack of language to express your feelings can influence a preschooler's behavior negatively. Provide children with words to express their wishes and feelings. Work with the "bully" one-on-one to help him express his feelings.
Role-play behavior. Learning to read other children's body language is an important tool that can help a bully to stop and consider her behavior. Let children show with their body language how they can say "no" or "yes." Discuss what it means when someone folds her arms and frowns.
Use exercise and relaxation techniques. Exercises where there is no body contact helps preschoolers to burn energy without having to deal with other children's reactions. Use yoga or other relaxation techniques to focus attention on breathing and calming down. Show the "bully" how to calm down when you see him getting angry or upset with other children. Take him aside and calmly show him how to use the exercises to avoid confrontation.