Send us Fan Mail Last week, Dr. Kristen Cook explained how to tell the difference between ordinary conflict, rejection, teasing, relational aggression, and true bullying. In this follow-up episode, she moves from identifying the problem to deciding what parents should actually do next. Kristen introduces a practical green, yellow, and red zone framework for handling peer conflict. In the green zone, parents coach and give children room to practice problem solving. In the yellow zone, parents monitor patterns, document concerns, and bring in trusted adults when needed. In the red zone, repeated targeted aggression, threats, violence, sexual harassment, stalking, serious cyberbullying, or significant harm to a child's well-being require adult intervention. She also addresses one of the hardest parenting calls to receive: the school says your child may be bullying someone else. Kristen explains why good kids can still behave badly, why behavior is not identity, and how parents can hold a child accountable without humiliation or labeling them as a bad person. The episode also covers when to contact the school, why confronting the other child's parents is not always the best first move, what not to tell a child who is being bullied, how developmental differences can affect peer relationships, and how to help children build social resilience without asking them to simply toughen up. This episode is the direct continuation of Episode 98. Listen to Episode 98 first for the foundation on what bullying is and how it differs from ordinary conflict, then use Episode 99 as the practical response guide. WHAT YOU'LL HEAR Kristen's green, yellow, and red zone framework for deciding when to coach, monitor, or interveneHow to document bullying concerns and approach a school with specific, factual informationQuestions parents can ask schools when a child needs a safety planWhen contacting the other child's parents may help and when it may make things worseWhy telling a child to just ignore bullying, hit back, or stop caring can backfireWhat to do if your child is accused of bullying another childHow to separate harmful behavior from a child's identityHow to hold children accountable without humiliating themWhy children with ADHD, autism, learning differences, or communication differences may need explicit social coachingThree questions to ask before stepping into a friendship problemWhen bullying-related emotional or physical symptoms deserve medical or mental health supportWhat social resilience actually looks like in real life Order Dr. Kristen Cook's Book Parenting Redefined: A Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Child's Behavior to Help Them Thrive If you enjoy Mom Doc Talk and want practical, evidence-based parenting guidance with compassion, science-backed strategies, and real-world parenting support, grab your copy here: Parenting Redefined on Amazon If this episode resonated with you, please share it with a friend, subscribe to Mom Doc Talk, and leave a review to help more parents find these conversations. Podcast Disclaimer The information presented in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitution for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider for medical concerns. All of the opinions are of Dr. Kristen Cook and do not reflect the opinions of her employer nor the hospitals she is affiliated with. The authors and publishers of this podcast do not assume any responsibility for errors, omissions, or consequences of using the information provided. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts! Get a copy of Kristen's Upcoming Book: Parenting Redefined HERE Follow Dr. Cook at: https://www.facebook.com/MomDocTalk/ Intagram: https://www.instagram.com/momdoctalk_kcmd/ https://twitter.com/momdoctalk https://www.tiktok.com/@momdoctalk_kcmd?lang=en
