How to Deal with Moms Who Bully Other Moms

Step 1

1

Wait before you respond, if you do. If the bully is sending you nasty texts or is attempting to bash you on social media, don’t respond right away. You may be tempted to stoop to her level and throw back what she is giving you. However, giving into this is exactly what she wants.

If you have the opportunity to delay contact, give yourself a day or 2 to calm down before you respond. By waiting, you avoid saying or doing anything that could be used against you or that you may regret.

If you find yourself on the verge of responding in a way you might regret, take some deep breaths. Pausing to focus on your breathing can help you clear your mind and approach the situation with more self control.

Step 2

2

Confront the bully. If you know that the person has done or said rude things to you or about you, ask her why she behaves the way she does. However, make sure you ask her in a civil manner. If you start the conversation off in a confrontational way, you’re sure to start a huge argument that may never get resolved.

For example, you could say, “I feel like there is tension between us and that you have an issue with some of the things I do. Can we talk about this?”

Some bullies back off as soon as they are confronted, while others get even more hostile. Prepare yourself for some backlash; however, hopefully the bullying will stop after this.

Expressing that you deserve to be treated with respect can help you build up your self esteem again, even if it does not take back what the bully did to you in the past.

Step 3

3

Ignore the bully. If the bullying still occurs after you’ve talked to her, walk away from the bully and disengage from what is happening. Not dealing with the immaturity of the bully may cause her to let it go. Doing so may be difficult, as it usually requires more courage and self-control to walk away than to lash out, but it shows the bully you’re not going to give her any satisfaction by giving in to what she wants.

Just remember, you are not responsible for the way that other people act. You can only control how you react to them. You can protect yourself by not getting involved with the bully. Engaging will only cause more stress on you and likely end in you being emotionally drained. Instead, do what is best for you.