Sunday, April 22, 2018

10 Ways to Teach Your Kid to be Unique


As early as kindergarten, our children feel pressured to conform and live up to the expectations of those around them.  The pressure to conform to the status quo is a challenge that follows them into adulthood.   

Every parent wants their kids to be accepted and affirmed socially, but they also want their kids to be unique, to feel free to be who they are.  Being different is a wonderful thing. Teaching your kids to embrace who they are by showing them their qualities are unique is valuable lesson you can give.

The way that your kids perceive themselves will impact them for the rest of their lives. Here are tips to help kids appreciate their uniqueness: 

  • Teach your kids that the things that make them different from everybody else are the things they should be proud of.  
  • Praise their unique talents, their gifts and special abilities.
  • Teach them that different is not wrong. Tell them if everyone is doing it, talking about it, liking it, than it is not necessarily right. 
  • Show your kids that being different is a strength. Tell them about people like Rosa Parks, Charles Darwin, Christopher Columbus, Mozart, Picasso, Indira Gandhi, or even the Beatles.  
  • Read books about being special or unique to your child.
  • Become fans of their passions.
  • Attend their events.
  • Support their hobbies by supplying tools and materials or by signing them up for classes. 
  • Listen to your child and give them time to share.
  • Expose them to a variety of sports, classes, and events to help them discover what they like.
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