Child uses body language to say “Stop!”.
Toddlers are at an ideal age to begin learning to be assertive and to stand up for themselves, both with adults and their peers. Children will be more confident when they can defend themselves without needing an adult to referee their conflicts. At Mongio we always role model to children how they should use their words and body movement to confer messages clearly:
- Use posture: hands on hips, feet apart
- Use words: “STOP!” or “I don’t like that!”
- Use an extended palm to create personal space.
This is the most common scenario we use with the children. With repetition, children quickly learn to use these tools to assert themselves. This gives them a lot of self-confidence, as they are able to resolve minor issues without the interference of an adult.
At home, you can use puppets to role-play scenarios in which a child defends him- or herself or model assertiveness in interactions with family, friends, and acquaintances, the more examples a child has, the quicker and more easily they are able to learn it themselves. If you have questions or want some more suggestions, educators are always happy to offer recommendations.
