Q: Where did you get the inspiration for Zombie Squirts?

Q: Who were the first Zombie Squirts?

A: I came up with a pair of Zombies...a boy and a girl! I had this image of them walking around and her dancing around him.  ​ I started coming up with this whole Zombie Kid universe...this could be something more than just a sticker assortment!

Q: What is the first book about?

A: So, the first book is about the foreign exchange student coming to a new school. She gets teased because she looks different. The Zombie Squirts come to her rescue! They teach children that your qualities make you special...they make you who you are.

Q: Are the stories based on personal experience?

Q: Why Children's Books and Why the Anti-Bullying Theme?

Q: Have you met any kids that would benefit reading your books?

A: I was at a Zombie-Walk not too long ago and I met this young boy, he was maybe 9-10 years old. He absolutely loved the books and everything, his grandma came up and took me aside.  She told me that he had been bullied so badly at school that he hasn't wanted to leave his house or do anything.  This is not OK! We need to get rid of the hate, kid's are dying because of this.

Q: What is the general response from parents?

A: I've had some parents contact me, a lot of them with Autistic Children, who say they absolutely love the books.  ​It helps keep the children engage, and they love that it's positive and teaches kid's that it is OK to be different.

Q: Last thoughts...?

BEING BULLIED

Chris Lynch aka Sir Poet - Radio Host

​Parent's Worst Realization....

​Common Misconception...

​First Thing: Your Kid is NOT Evil

It is a common misconception that if a kid is a bully, that they may be "evil" or just mean at heart. This is not always the case! Some kids have a hard time expressing themselves, or feel as though they cannot be heard, so they take their aggression out in other ways. Pull them aside and tell them they are OK! A kid could be very upset about something at school and has not come forward with it, or maybe they feel singled out in some way. So, always make sure when you talk to them about this, not to make them feel even more singled out or afraid. You want to open the discussion of bullying with them where they feel safe and can open up about what is going on.

​Get Involved with the School This one may be tricky because of guidelines that schools have in place. But, the best thing you can do is keep in constant communication with them. Things to look for include: Behavioral Changes Other Children's interactions with them Positive/Negative attitude change The good news is when it's caught early on and handled correctly, your kid can learn to change their ways of bullying and head on a new path. Kids are sponges and they soak in the environment around them. Keep it positive!

Schools should be a Bully-Free Zone

​Help Them to Understand

Just because they were bullied, doesn't make it right to bully others

Don't Allow Them to Play the Victim Card

Playing the victim is the easiest way out for bullies. It makes them feel that how they reacted in the situation was completely justified. It also communicates an opinion that they are not responsible for their actions. Nip It In the Bud Allowing victim-thinking to take hold in your kids will leave them open to a barrage of problems going forward in life. They’ll find it hard to change and grow. Kids who play the victim card get accustomed to that way of thinking and end up not living a well productive and beneficial lifestyle. ​Let them know that it is not okay to bully even if they themselves have suffered at the hands of bullies before.

Why does your kid bully?

​Show Them That They Always Have A Choice

​Parent's have their own form of justice

​Make Sure that the Punishment Fits the Crime Sometimes your kid bullies out of habit and cannot help it. In those cases, the damage done needs to be reversed and they need to be punished for the bullying that they’ve done. This acts as a negative reinforcement and will help them let go of the behavior of bullies to adopt a better approach to dealing with problems. For Example: If you find that they write hurtful comments a gaming forum, maybe the best way to deal with this is to take away their gaming privileges for the week, but make sure theyunderstand WHY you did this. ​You aren't trying to be the "mean" parent...but a parent that wants to raise someone who is respectful and respected.

​Teach Them How They Can Make It better

LIMITED TIME ONLY!

Only $9.99 Paperback of Amazon!

Mamma Z Mamma Z is the Author and Illustrator of the Children's Book Series "Zombie Squirts." ​She is on a mission to eliminate bullying!

Talk About Bullying - Education News - A. Masterton

Don't Wait...Talk to your kids about bullying

Parent's Against Bullying

When we have kids, though, we start seeing bullying through a completely different set of eyes, and the pain can be visceral. ​It’s hard to know what to say to a kid who comes from school upset every day, but you have to say something.

Avoid empty platitudes

Be especially careful with your daughters. If a boy is throwing dirt in her face or pulling on her pigtails, don’t tell her “That just means he likes you.” Maybe some boys are trying to show affection that way, but you don’t want your daughter to associate mean, cruel behavior with love. ​ ​You don’t want your son to do that either, but it seems like boys are given a pass for this behavior more often than girls. If someone is trying to flirt with you, they can tease you, but it shouldn’t be done in a hostile or abusive manner. You probably wouldn’t tell a 30-year-old woman that her boyfriend’s uncontrollable jealousy “is only because he cares,” so don’t tell a 10-year-old girl that either.

The value of positive media

Movies, music, TV, and books can show us a lot about who we are, as well as who we’d like to be. For example, the Pixar movie “Inside Out” resonated strongly with a lot of depression sufferers because there was literally a character called Sadness. ​We feel less alone when we see characters dealing with the same stuff we encounter in our everyday lives. So if your child is dealing with persistent bullying, consider investing in some anti-bullying books for kids. You can read the books together and talk about the message behind them.

Kids and Their Questions About Bullying

Here’s how you can help your kid take a stand against bullying.

Why is Standing up Important?

Group Up

It is important that your kid understands the environment that they are in and are well prepared for bullying. One of the best things that you can do is to explain to them why it is important to have a group of friends and what it does to prevent bullying. Motivate them to make the right friends in school and travel in that group especially when going through “bully territory.” Work on them collaboratively to develop how they can make the right friends. This is a good way to take a stand against bullying.

Stronger Voices

Watch Lion King with them once. Get to the part where Simba tries to roar as a cub in front of the three hyenas. After that scene is done, pause the movie and have a short discussion to explain to them how those hyenas represented bullies and what a strong voice can do and that violence isn’t the answer. Also assure them that if things get out of hand, adults that you know are always there to help. When your kids take a stand against bullying it usually involves standing up for themselves and being assertive. Bullies will back off when your kid is assertive and shows that he is not the easy target that they are searching for. Help them practice their “roar” and when it really matters, they’ll be able to do it in front of those bullies.

Ditch the Phone to be Aware

Awareness of the surroundings is an important part of evading a potential bullying situation. Tell them to lose their phones when walking in and around school, home or elsewhere. Do they see a rough group of boys around the school? Is the guy in the car near the Carl’s Jr. keeping an eye on them? Is there a car near the bus stop that shouldn’t be there? If the kids know that have to steer clear from these areas when they can, and trust that uneasy feeling in their stomach, they can avoid bullies as well as potential mugging or assault attempts in their adult life.

Know When to Back Out

There are Many Types of Bullying

Bullying isn't just a blanket term...

"It's important to stand up to all forms of bullying, and it's even more important for those who are around you to be just as courageous and stand with you!" — Normani Kordei

​Social Bullying

This one can be hard to pin point...

Social bullying is sort of a hard one to identify. It really is unlike all the other forms of bullying. As you dive into the other forms, your will find that the other 3 are mainly directed towards someone right to them specifically. With social bullying, it is technically an act that involves talking petty behind someone's back. This could be through: Hurtful Rumors Awful Jokes about the victim to other people Laughing at the Victims Expense Getting Others Involved to Bash or Bad Mouth the Victim When this form of bullying is presented, it may be easier to overlook due to the non-confrontational aspect. However, it needs to be taken just as serious as any other form of bullying and stopped immediately. This type of behavior should never be acceptable because once it begins, it is a difficult monster to stop. Social bullying is like a gateway bullying system. They try it and get away with it, or are never held accountable for their actions. This can lead to a life-long pattern of terrible behaviors that could get others or even themselves hurt.

"Not everyone has been a bully or the victim of bullies, but everyone has seen bullying, and seeing it, has responded to it by joining in or objecting, by laughing or keeping silent, by feeling disgusted or feeling interested." — Octavia E. Butler

Cyber Bullying

Cyber Bullying is Serious

Hardware

Hardware is anything physically tangible to a human being. There are multiple ways that bullying has been channeled through a form of hardware. Some examples are: Computer Tablets Smart phones

Software​

Of course, being able to use a smart phone, tablet or computer is one thing, but how are people most likely connected through these devices? That's right, through the Software that enables direct communication from one person/party to another. Some examples are Facebook Instagram Email Instant messaging

Verbal Bullying

Words carry weight...

Verbal bullying is when something is spoken out towards a victim by the bully themselves. The main direction the bully is shooting for is to try and cut down the victim using words. We have all heard the phrase "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." This is a nice phrase used to show kids and adults that we don't need to take what other people say about us to heart.

It promotes us to take more action for ourselves and not let others get the best of us. But, let's be honest, WORDS DO HURT. In fact, they hurt quite a bit depending on context and the situational instance. ​Forms of verbal bullying include: Name Calling Teasing Racist Comments General Insults

Get Your hands OFF!

Physical Bullying

Physical Bullying...the worst one?

Physical Bullying is when someone has broken the boundaries of the internet, their social status and even gone further than saying hurtful things to someone. They have now decided that physical violence is the "answer." Physical Bullying is any of the following, but not limited to: Kicking Hitting Grabbing Pushing Attacks If you are a victim of bullying and you have had any of these (or others) happen to you... You need to SPEAK UP! If you are a witness to these actions and you aren't sure what you should do, follow these steps. They will get you at least on the right track. ​

Beating Bullying - The Daily Universe - Scholarship Media

​The Zombie Squirts were lucky enough to be featured in an Article Today! 

My Nephew is being bullied...

My little nephew means the world to me, and he’s at what should be a really exciting and innocent time in his life. He’s just starting kindergarten. Unfortunately, some kids in his class have been really mean to him.  have no idea why, or why his kindergarten teacher can’t see to control a group of kids that is so young, but my brother and his wife say my nephew has no friends and sometimes cries and asks them not to send him to school anymore. He’s all alone (he has no brothers or sisters), and it makes me so sad. I know it’s not my place, but what can I do to help?

How Common is Bullying?

Who Should We Turn to as a Defense Against Bullying?

The first line of defense against bullying in the school environment should be the teacher, and it’s unfortunate that that’s not sufficient or effective in this case. Your brother and his wife could try contacting the principal or another higher school authority in the hopes of getting better results, or they could attempt to reach out to the parents of the children directly. ​The parents may even be grateful–identifying this sort of behavior at a young age can be key to correcting it, and may lead to the discovery of other issues that might otherwise have avoided detection.

Why is Bullying Harmful?

Last Words on Bullying?

​Why Should I Say Anything at All? We all have seen bullying in the hallways of our schools, both grade school and high school. A lot of the time, it can seem overwhelming to know what actions you need to take when you see something like this. You may be thinking things like: "If I ignore the problem, maybe it will go away..." "if I say something, maybe they will come after me" "I don't know who I'm suppose to go to, or if anyone will even listen" It is important to remember that NOT taking action is just as bad as the bullying itself. If you don't take action, who will? Taking these situations seriously and making sure that something is done to prevent it in the future is the most important thing we can do.  Teaching our children at a young age about the effects of bullying, can help us save thousands of lives per year!

5. Do NOT Ignore it...

Ignoring problems and hoping they go away will never end in peace and resolution. You should never assume that any form of bullying is just innocent "teasing". Take this SERIOUSLY...never let it get out of hand. Make sure the student being bullied doesn't feel alone in this situation. Just because you think it may be harmless, doesn't mean the bullied student doesn't feel embarrassed or terrified. Ignoring the problem and allowing this behavior to continue, is just as bad as being a bully yourself. If you don't stand up for people in need...who will?

4. Stay Calm and Collected...

Do not let your emotions get away from you...When you witness someone being bullied it can be an emotional roller coaster. You may want to react right away in a fit of fury. Anger is a natural human emotion, but it is best to remain calm and make sure that you do not add fuel to the fire. Take a deep breath. Assess the situation. Do not engage in the negativity, just be calm and assertive and stop the situation as quickly as possible

3. Make Mental Notes About the Situation...

2. Talk to the Victim About It

Once you have taken in all of the surroundings of the situation, make sure you speak to the victim about what happened. Some questions that you should ask him/her: Have you been bullied by this person before? If yes, how often does this happen? Have you ever talked to anyone about it? What is the worst thing they have done? Asking some of these simple questions and getting the answers is the best thing you can do. If the student tells you that they have spoken up about the situation before, but nothing proactive has been done to fix it, then you will have to make sure you speak passionately about it in the next step

​1. Tell Someone!

Taking the time...

Why Is it Important to Identify the Negative Effects of Bullying? ​     When we think about bullying, sometimes the first thing that comes to mind is that maybe a child/teen is just getting picked on at school, and we all hope that it will resolve itself and no further actions should be taken. In some cases, being "picked on" at school is fairly normal. ​     Some younger children haven't developed the skills yet to communicate what is going on in their head, especially when they are trying to explain what they "like" or "don't like" about somebody else. They might look at another student who is different than themselves and not know how to express the differences, so they tend to point out these differences in a harsh way.

Top 5 Negative Effects of Bullying

5. School Drop Outs

4. Bullying Affects The Child's Ability to Learn

Children that are bullied have a harder time retaining information throughout the day. When they are constantly worried about when and where they could be bullied next, this takes away from their time spent on learning. Not only are they distracted by wondering when or where the bullying will come next, but when someone is bullied, it affects their brain's receptors negatively. This leads to a lack of concentration and depression. Nearly 24% of children suffer chronic levels of bullying at school. These kids had a "lower academic achievement" and a "greater dislike of school." Roughly 18% experience moderate bullying at school. The results of lower academic achievement and dislike for school was similar to those who suffered chronic levels of bullying.

3. Bullying Affects the Child's Ability to Trust Others

Anytime someone gets bullied, they develop a strong mistrust for people. This might not show in younger years with the child, but as they grow and mature and start to build relationships with others, this deep seeded mistrust for people starts to surface. This can cause failed friendships, and even future relationships with their significant others

2. School Shootings

Students that have been harassed and/or bullied in schools have been linked to almost 75% of School Shootings in the USA. When these kids feel as though nobody cares for them and gets to the point where rage takes control of them, this is when school shootings take place. We could prevent unnecessary deaths by teaching children the importance of respect and acceptance. Bullying Victims are twice as likely to bring a weapon to schoo

1. Bullying Can Lead to Depression and Suicide