Everyone gets embarrassed, but children especially can have a hard time putting embarrassment into perspective. Here are two great tips for helping your child process embarrassment:
Take your child’s feelings seriously, but don’t overreact. Telling your child that their experience is no big deal, might be interpreted as equivalent to saying that their feelings are no big deal. It’s a big deal to them. Explain that you know it doesn’t feel good to be embarrassed, while not reinforcing the idea that it’s the end of the world.
Focus on your child’s resilience. If your child does something well during embarrassment, like laugh it off or finish a performance, praise your child for that skill. This puts the focus on their ability to cope, rather that give greater power to the event.
Today’s tips came from the Child Mind Institute. If you like these tips, click here for several more as well as some advice on when to intervene (like when bullying is involved).
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