Peer
pressure…… This is a secret fear of every parent; Negative peer influence. We pray about it, we counsel the child
against it, we keep our children away from bad company but…….. for how long? We
cannot be with them forever neither can we fuss over them too much, lest our
genuine concern is misunderstood.
So,
how do we curb this monster called negative peer influence? We need to raise
assertive children. Children who can express their feeling and stand up for
their rights while respecting the right of others.
We
have taught them how to know right from wrong. So how do they assert themselves
and stay cool in the face of jeers, jabs and nicknaming e..g mummy’s boy, daddy’s
girl, spoilt brat etc.
When
their friends demand they do their bidding, how do they stay true to themselves
and still remain calm?
Assertive
behavior is a learnable skill and mode of communication. The assertive child
has the quality of being self assured and confident without being aggressive.
Assertiveness
is not aggressiveness, while assertive people stand up for their rights without
disrespecting others or trampling upon their right, aggressive persons defend
their goals but disregard the right of others.
A
passive person is unable to adequately express his or her feeling, they are not
committed to their own rights and they are more likely to allow others to
infringe on their rights. They remain in relationships where there needs are
not met.
We need
to work with our children to become more assertive.
We need
to speak to them, work with them to identify their area of strength, boost
their confidence so they can have a mind of their own. Let them know that
greatness is in them and they don’t need the validation of their peers before
they can be who God has designed them to be. Give them regular doses of
confidence boosters.
We sure
need more assertive children around these days. For more winning tips for your
children, link up with us at 08098160337.
You can
also link up with SkillAlert Concepts for more tips.
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