Influenced by her daughter, a Chicago mom wrote a children’s book that makes it easier for parents to teach lessons on bullying. NBC 5’s Kate Chappell reports.
When Lori Orlinsky's daughter, Hayley, complained of bullying at school, she wanted to find material to help her address the issue in a non-confrontational way.
Orlinsky scoured bookstores online for a publication about children who are small to no avail. So, she wrote her own.
The book, "Being Small Isn't So Bad After All," aims to address bullying in all forms.
"It gives parents and kids perspective on the power of their words," Orlinsky said.
Orlinsky said the book gave Hayley, who is now seven years old, the confidence to understand that there are special things she can do.
"It’s really hard to have a conversation with children about bullying," Orlinsky said. "They feel like they’re on the defense, and they feel uncomfortable and awkward. I hope this is a book parents can read to their kids, and it will naturally lead into a conversation about bullying without feeling forced."
October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and even though most students in Illinois are learning virtually from home, Orlinsky said bullying is at an all time high.
Local
"It’s definitely a misconception,” Orlinsky said. “People think one of
the benefits to remote learning is that the bullies don’t lurk in the lunchroom anymore, aren’t at the lunch tables, near the lockers. That’s actually not the case. Bullying has now become more prevalent, the bullies are hiding behind a computer screen."
Orlinsky encouraged parents to keep the lines of communication open about what a healthy remote environment looks like.
Her book, :Being Small Isn’t So Bad After All," is available on Amazon.
