Teenager: “No Knock” Policy
Posted: June 19, 2008We have been talking these last few days about youngsters who need a little help coping with peer pressure and rejection.
Another suggestion for parents is that they teach their kids what I call a “no-knock”" policy.
One of the common characteristics of a person who feels inadequate is that he or she talks about it to anyone who will listen.
This self-criticism is not as uncommon as we might think. You may even be surprised by how often you tell your friends about your own faults and while you are babbling about all your inadequacies, the listener is formultaing impressions of you.
After all, you are the expert on that subject. If you think you are a loser, then others are going to tend to see you that way.
You can help your child understand this simple principle. Teach him or her to accept blame and criticism when it is valid, but not to continually talk about embarrassing flaws and failures.
If your kids learn to respect themselves, others will tend to be more respectful, too.
It is called a “no- knock” policy.
