• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • About
  • Shop
  • Press
  • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

teach mama logo

teach mama

helps families connect & build bridges between home & school, by amy mascott

  • early literacy
    • alphabet
    • beginning sounds
    • phonics
    • phonological awareness
    • read-aloud learning
    • rhyming
    • sight words
  • reading
    • books
    • comprehension
      • activating schema
      • connecting
      • inferring
      • predicting
      • questioning
      • retelling / summarizing
      • visualizing
    • concepts of print
    • environmental print
    • fluency
    • non-fiction
    • spelling
    • word building
    • word consciousness
    • vocabulary
  • writing
    • creative writing
    • grammar
    • informative writing
    • tripod grip
  • math
    • computation
    • counting
    • numbers
  • science
    • animals
    • plants
    • science experiments for kids
  • Activities
    • birthdays
    • cooking
      • new for us foods
    • crafts
    • foundations
      • colors
      • critical thinking
      • fine arts
      • listening
      • pretend play
      • sorting
      • speaking
    • holidays
      • new year’s
      • valentine’s day
      • president’s day
      • st. patrick’s day
      • april fool’s day
      • easter
      • mother’s day
      • teacher appreciation
      • father’s day
      • july 4th
      • halloween
      • thanksgiving
      • christmas
    • family life
      • family fun
      • giving back
      • lunchbox love notes
      • school
    • indoor activities
    • outdoor activities
  • digital literacy
    • computer time
    • iPad for learning
  • early literacy
    • alphabet
    • beginning sounds
    • phonics
    • phonological awareness
    • read-aloud learning
    • rhyming
    • sight words
  • reading
    • books
    • comprehension
      • activating schema
      • connecting
      • inferring
      • predicting
      • questioning
      • retelling / summarizing
      • visualizing
    • concepts of print
    • environmental print
    • fluency
    • non-fiction
    • spelling
    • word building
    • word consciousness
    • vocabulary
  • writing
    • creative writing
    • grammar
    • informative writing
    • tripod grip
  • math
    • computation
    • counting
    • numbers
  • science
    • animals
    • plants
    • science experiments for kids
  • Activities
    • birthdays
    • cooking
      • new for us foods
    • crafts
    • foundations
      • colors
      • critical thinking
      • fine arts
      • listening
      • pretend play
      • sorting
      • speaking
    • holidays
      • new year’s
      • valentine’s day
      • president’s day
      • st. patrick’s day
      • april fool’s day
      • easter
      • mother’s day
      • teacher appreciation
      • father’s day
      • july 4th
      • halloween
      • thanksgiving
      • christmas
    • family life
      • family fun
      • giving back
      • lunchbox love notes
      • school
    • indoor activities
    • outdoor activities
  • digital literacy
    • computer time
    • iPad for learning
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

teaching kids to stand up for themselves

home / family life / parenting / behavior management / teaching kids to stand up for themselves
4.1K shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

teach kids to stand up for themselves

 

It’s been a gorgeous fall week here, so one morning, Owen, Cora, and I spent a good while at the park with our buddies.  Turns out there were a handful of 4’s and 5’s there, and Owen made fast friends playing superheroes with ‘the big guys’.

Little did I know that this seemingly eventful playdate would lend itself to a great ‘teachable moment’ –one that every kiddo needs to experience and one that every parent should find time to sneak in: a lesson on standing up for themselves.

It’s a Quick Trick because it only takes seconds to give children the words they need to build confidence and, in the long run, create better friendships.

  • Teaching Kids to Stand Up For Themselves:  I am so far from an expert on parenting that it’s not even funny.  Every single day I’m learning something new, researching one thing or other, begging my pals for advice, calling my mom and dad, wondering how terribly I’m screwing up my kids, and trying to figure out this parenting gig.

I do, however read a ton and continually refer back to those parenting books that have found a permanent place on our shelves.  I’ve learned to take pieces from one guy and parts from another and form them into some sort of recipe for my own parenting madness. It’s not perfect, and it’s certainly a work in progress.

One person I do love and often keep close at hand is Dr. Becky Bailey’s and her whole Conscious Discipline approach. Her advice on empowering even the littlest guys by giving them the words they can use to stand up for themselves is something I really admire and often use.

So on the playground this week, when my Owen came-a-runnin’ to his mama saying that some little guy was name-calling and wouldn’t stop, I said,  What did you say to him?

Owen told me, I told him ‘don’t say that’ and ‘no I’m not’ but he still won’t stop.  So I don’t want to play with him.

I felt really sad for my uuber-sensitive boy because I knew the guys were really having a fun time zooming around the equipment, flying from buildings and saving the universe, all the while playing soccer on the side. And I knew Owen was probably really confused about why this guy was calling him a poopie-whatever-whatever.

So I said, Did you try saying ‘I don’t like it when you name call me because it hurts my feelings’?

He said, No.  Will you come with me and I’ll do it?teach kids to stand up for themselves

Of course I said I would, and we walked over together.  Owen bravely put his chin up and said I don’t like it when you name call me and it’s not okay because it’s not nice.

And did the rest of the conversation unravel perfectly like I wished, with the little guy saying ‘I’m sorry‘ and the two buddies slapping five and heading back to superhero world? No, not really.  Bummer.

But I can only worry about my Owen and how he handled things and hope that by sticking up for himself he felt better and more confident about the situation.  And I really think he did.

I guess my point is simple: that kids need to know that it’s okay to stand up for themselves. That if one guy on the playground says or does something that isn’t cool with the next guy, that the second guy can–and should–say something like ‘I don’t like it when you (hit me/ run away from me/ take my ball).  It makes me feel (sad/ upset/ frustrated/ angry).

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being kids direct with their friends–even new friends–about how they’re being treated. It’s better in the long run, and although the identification of feelings is hard for little ones, it may come with time.  And there’s no arguing the way that someone makes you feel.  It’s not like saying ‘I don’t like it when you run away because you’re a big creep.‘  Even if they end their ‘I don’t like it when you (whatever) with a ‘so I’m not going to play right now’ or ‘so I’m taking a break from this game‘ it’s something.  It’s empowering because we’re teaching our kids to step into the driver’s seat, which ultimately becomes a confidence builder because our little guys–and gals–should not tolerate unkind behavior from one of their pals.

So that’s it–just a little Quick Trick teachable moment on the playground this week, thanks to a couple of 4 and 5 year old superhero soccer players.

You May Also Like...

  • Navigating Education in a Time of Uncertainty: A Virtual Summit for Educators
    Navigating Education in a Time of Uncertainty: A Virtual Summit for Educators
  • Virtual Summit for Educators: Navigating the Online Classroom & Beyond
    Virtual Summit for Educators: Navigating the Online Classroom & Beyond
  • how to prepare your child for kindergarten -- summertime prep
    how to prepare your child for kindergarten -- summertime prep

About amy mascott

teacher, mother, dreamer. lover of literacy, fun learning, good food, and three crazy-cool kids. finder of four-leaf clovers | dc metro · http://about.me/amymascott
tweet with me: @teachmama

Previous Post:just 1 book: author post–susan meddaugh (and book giveaway!)
Next Post:new for us friday: ‘take the cake’ game (and giveaway!)

Sidebar

amy mascott profile blog

join the coolest club around:

  • About
  • Contact
  • disclaimer
  • terms of use
  • privacy policy
  • Site-Map

Instagram


our books

setting the stage for rock-star readers
raise a reader

Find Us On Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Helpful Links

  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Media Kit
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy

Follow Us On Instagram

View
Open
If you are not yet part of the Take 5 crew, you definitely want to get in the mix!

It will land in your inbox tomorrow: 
https://take5.teachmama.com/

#teachmamatake5  #teachersfollowteachers #parentsofIG #teachertips #linkinbio
View
Open
It’s here! It’s HERE! 

THE ULTIMATE VALENTINE’S DAY CLASS PARTY!

Everything you need to make a Valentine’s Day party totally ROCK: https://shop.teachmama.com/

#valentineparty #valentinesdayclassparty #teacherhacks #roomparent
View
Open
Friends!

I am over on Tiktok, and I’m actually loving it! I’m @teachmama1 or search ‘Amy Mascott’. 🍀

Are you there? PLEASE drop your user name so I can follow you. 

Tagging some one my Tiktok super⭐️ friends so we have some cool cats to follow and learn from. 

Find these 🔥 accounts: 
@myhealthydish 
@luciamallea 
@craftychica 
@livinglocurto 
@audreymcclellan 
@mo_mountain_mutts 
@tailsofconnection 
@jeannettekaplun 
@studiojjk 
@theamiyrahmartin 
@gerrybrooksprin 

#followmeontiktok #sorrykids #ifyoucantbeatemjoinem
View
Open
Even kids who dislike writing will LOVE to pen a note on these tiny cards! And the best news? These flowers last FOREVER!

Grab some here: 
https://zuli.ly/sl/n/t/ACEf

#makesomeonesday #featuredreel #teachersofIG #partner
View
Open
💜❤️🤍 THINK: VALENTINE’s DAY!! ❤️🤍💜

Sooooo many people we know LOVE cool sweatshirts. Skip the 🍬💕 this year and surprise your sweethearts with a fun, cozy, super-😎hoodie. 

Move now! $19 and FREE SHIPPING with my link here—> zulily.gfpv.net/x9eP6v

#coolvalentine #hoodieszn #ad #giftsfortweens #giftsforteens
View
Open
THANK YOU, @imse_og for the best. training. ever!!

WHERE on earth did this week go? It completely flew by!

Our instructor, Becky Strimple, was AWESOME. I am officially hooked on the #OrtonGillingham method, and I am already looking at the next IMSE course I can take to get me closer to Comprehensive OG Plus Certification. 

#UntilAllCanRead #imseog #readingrocks #multisensoryteaching #soexciting
View
Open
Day 4 of OG Training, and this 5 second video doesn’t even scratch the surface of what we covered. 

I have participated in dozens and dozens and dozens of trainings over the course of my career—and throughout my own education—but hands down this is the best one I have ever had. 

Every educator should take this. I don’t have the faintest idea why it’s not required for every edu degree. 

It’s not only a look at the best ways to teach decoding and encoding, but it’s a study of the English language as well. It’s wild. 

#ortongillingham #Letsread #ogteacher #readingteacher
View
Open
Day 3 of @imse_og Orton-Gillingham Training and I am 🤯. 

WHY did I not do this sooner?!

If YOU are OG-Trained, what did you find most helpful/ mind-blowing/ earth-shattering?

#ogteacher #ortongillinghamteachers #teachersofig #teachersfollowteachers
View
Open
Day 2 of Orton-Gillingham Training —we learned SO. MUCH. 

#OGtraining #readingteacher #teachreading #strivingreaders #ortongillingham

Copyright © 2023 · teach mama media, llc · All Rights Reserved

  • 20
4.1K shares