Talking Points
Playing an active role in a child’s life can raise their self-esteem and prevent bullying: Five critical points
Many parents have frequently wondered how to protect their kids from becoming a bully or being bullied themselves. Often, the bully comes from a household that lacks a key component and this behavior begins with how parents talk and discipline their kids. It has become clear that communication plays an important role to raising healthy and thriving members of society. Kids in Need is committed to reinforcing good behavior and getting parents back into the conversation.
1. Great communication skills starts at an early age
Children often feel stuck in a cobweb of emotion due to their childhood experiences. A person’s ‘self-concept’ is their sense of who they fit into their family and community. This concept develops between the ages of 2 and 6 years of age.Positive relationships between parents and children are crucial to building a positive self-concept.
2. Children need adults to help them manage their emotions
Children require continual experiences of having their needs met by responsive adults to develop a positive self-image, manage their emotions and to get along with others. When children have these experiences, they are more likely to be mentally healthy and have good relationships with others. This contributes to positive thinking, happiness and overall success in life.
3. The approach to bullying isn’t as cut and dry as people would like to believe
There are many roles that kids can play. These roles are the kid who bullies, the bullied, or a witness to the bullying. Sometimes kids may both be bullied and bully others or they may witness other kids being bullied. It is important to understand the multiple roles kids play in order to effectively prevent and respond to bullying.
4. Developing a relationship with a mentor helps build trust and raise self-esteem
A mentor can play many roles in a child’s life, such as talking about problems that arise and helping to set goals. A mentor and the child might prefer to spend time having fun together. Having a mentor can raise a child’s self-esteem and lead to better school performances. It can
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also make your child less susceptible to drink alcoholic beverages or use illegal drugs that could get them into trouble.
5. Kids are more susceptible to learning new concepts and ideas if it is presented in a fun way that doesn’t feel like learning
Students across every grade level can enjoy educational activities. These activities can be crafted like mood meter signs, and brain games are great for any kind of learner. With many educational activities, it is easier to keep kids entertained while they learn new skills and practice introduced concepts.
About KIN
Kids In Need (KIN) is a small non profit organization located in Vancouver, Washington comprised of on-site child psychologists, volunteer tutors and physical fitness coaches. KIN partners with schools and youth centers to focus on child development. Not only can children attend one of the centers to get assistance with school work, but they can utilize a number of kid-friendly activities, participate in programs to become better communicators, deal with bullies, and channel ways to handle their emotions by using them constructively. The combination of long-lasting mentoring relationships are set to guide kids to a healthy and educated lifestyle. KIN hosts monthly Q&As at various venues in the area for parents to gain knowledge of how to play a more positive role in their child’s lives.
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Nicole Johnson 