What would you suggest I do regarding a 6-year-old who is fuming over being bullied at school? How do I introduce forgiveness without imposing it?
We have forgiveness curriculum guides here at the International Forgiveness Institute, and the grade 1 guide might be a strong introduction for the 6-year-old. This first-grade guide slowly introduces the children to the concept of forgiveness, first by focusing on the inherent worth of all people. This slowly transcends to the idea that even those who behave badly have worth as persons. This does not mean that children then should automatically reconcile with those who are being hurtful. As the child learns about inherent worth through stories, you can slowly fold in the idea that the ones who are bullying have more to them than this behavior. At the same time, let the child know that the educators should be alerted to the bullying so that it can be addressed and stopped.
