Teaching Your Children to Stand Up for Themselves

There is a lot of talk out there about bullying. We teach our kids to be kind and to not bully others. We also teach them what to do when someone is bullying them or others. Standing up for themselves is a crucial life skill!
These days, we even have to talk to them about cyberbullying!
With the prevalence of child and teen suicides in this country, it’s no wonder these discussions are being held on a regular basis - in homes, schools, businesses, and communities.
There are a lot of situations throughout life where many of us shrink back and stay quiet when what we really wanted to do was stand up and be heard.
Think about it for a minute. How many times have you…
- Said ‘yes’ to something that you really wanted or should have said ‘no’ to?
- Wanted to voice your opinion on something important, but stayed quiet because of what people would think?
- Didn’t do something you wanted because people talked you out of it?
- Did something you didn’t want to do because of peer pressure?
- Been mistreated by someone you loved and been unable to stand up to them?
- Dealt with an authority figure who abused their power over you?
I know that I can think of several instances in my own life where these things happened.
And you know what? Those moments and those feelings stick with you.
They fill you with regret and resentment. They can also breed fears and doubts that hold us back from our goals in a major way.
I feel confident in saying that none of us wants that for our children.
We want our children to be able to stand strong in their beliefs, to feel confident speaking up about things, to be able to assert themselves in a way that commands respect, and to be able to make choices that align with their values and goals.
So, today, I just wanted to reach out and remind you that those things are true for you as well! Because our kids learn a lot from watching us. Seeing you standing up for yourself can help them do that in their own lives.
I also wanted to let you know that we recently added life skills training on standing up to bullies to our Skill Trekker program.