April 24, 2018
We’ve all been there. You are at a birthday party and there is a person making balloon shapes for the kids. You have been standing in line for an hour and its finally your child’s turn. The man makes the shape and hands your child a beautiful blue sword. Your child walks away and starts crying saying that they really wanted a red sword…You know the crying..its a hysterical cry where it truly seems the world will end and you feel everyone is looking at you. This is a great opportunity to teach your child to speak up!
It’s never too early to start teaching independence and problem solving skills!
Bend down, look at your child in the eye and tell them that if they really want the red balloon they must go and ask for it themselves.
This presents your child with an opportunity to:
a) Think for themselves
b) Decide for themselves if it is really that important to them
c) Use their voice to makes a difference.
Don’t solve all of your child’s problems….
While a balloon color seems insignificant, the reality is that it is never too early to teach a child to speak up, to think about what they really want and to do it themselves. Today it’s a balloon and a few years from now it will be a grade on a test, negotiating a contract for a job, purchasing a home, etc.
Remember our job as parents is to teach and raise our children to be independent adults!
-Elizabeth Vainder, M.D.
