Q: My daughter wants to be liked, and sometimes kids take advantage of her generosity. How can I teach her to stand up for herself?

Skills

As parents, we want our children to feel that they belong. We teach them to be kind and generous, but they also need to learn how to set boundaries so that others do not take advantage of them. The difficulty lies is teaching your daughter the difference between being assertive (telling people what she wants) and being aggressive (imposing her wants and needs on others). One of the best ways to teach your child to be assertive is to model kind, confident behavior in your daily interactions with others. Show her that it is okay for her to speak up and to ask for what she wants. Give her the opportunity to make her own choices (e.g., let her choose what to wear or what she wants for a snack from two healthy choices) so she feels that she has control over her life and learns that what she thinks and feels matters. The goal is to help her feel confident and encourage a healthy self-esteem. Two great books that teach children about individuality, confidence, and self-worth are “Zero” by Kathryn Otoshi and “Only One You” by Linda Kranz.
Jennie Ito, Ph.D.

Child Development Expert

Jennie Ito is a mother of two and a child development consultant who specializes in children’s play and toys. Before becoming a consultant for LeapFrog, she was an intern at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and later worked as a content expert for the Association of Children’s Museum’s “Playing for Keeps” Play Initiative. Jennie earned her doctorate degree in developmental psychology at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada.