Helping children to be assertive. What does that mean? It means helping your child to assert themselves by standing up for what they believe in (saying yes I will/want to) and saying no to things they don’t agree with or don’t want to do.
Yes and No are both great words, however children should be saying yes more to trying and experiencing new things but are instead saying no. Children should say no to things that they don’t want to experience because they go against their values and beliefs, but may find themselves saying yes because they feel pressured. Parents want them to know their own minds, be assertive and set firm boundaries, but in the right way.
6 Ideas to Help Children Be Assertive
So how can we help them get the Yes and No the right way around?
- Talk to them about doing things that fall within what they know is right and does not compromise their values and say yes to them
- Build up their confidence so they are willing to try new things that they may fall in love with and enjoy
- Encourage your child to try something new at least once – again within their values
- Build up their self-esteem so they feel good about themselves and using the words No
- Help them say No loud and clear with conviction so they withstand peer pressure
- Discuss the importance of using No and not going along with the crowd and the feelings of being heard and respected
Helping children to be assertive and use both words effectively will help with their growth and reinforce what they stand for. Every parent wants their child to be assertive so they don’t get walked over and resist getting involved in activities they know are not right for them.
To read up more on helping your children grow, have a look at The Parent’s Toolkit.
The Wow Board – Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem
The ‘WOW’ Board was developed for children who needed a boost to their self-esteem and for children who needed to start focusing on the positive things that happen in their life rather than the negative. All children deserve to feel amazing about who they are, recognise and acknowledge their strengths, accept their weaknesses and have a ‘can do’ attitude!
- develop a healthy self-esteem
- take pride in their abilities
- recognise the good things that happen to them
- start to talk more about their day with their parents or guardians
Make positivity a daily habit with the Wow Board
