How to Help Kids Deal With Embarrassment

November 20, 2019
How to Help Kids Deal With Embarrassment

This tip of the week was adapted from Child Mind Institute. For many children, embarrassing experiences can be very upsetting, and in some cases lead to serious issues like anxiety and avoidance. Although we cannot protect children from embarrassment, we can help them build resilience and the confidence they need to deal with it in a healthy way. Read below for dos and don’ts of helping children deal with embarrassment.

  • Model Behavior

Children often look for parents’ cues on how to manage difficult emotions such as embarrassment. Looking at how you deal with embarrassing experiences at home will help you set an example of healthy behavior for your child.

  • Take your child’s embarrassment seriously

If your child is embarrassed, it’s important not to dismiss his feelings, even if the situation that caused them sounds like no big deal.

  • Praise Positive Skills

If your child shares an embarrassing situation with you, take time to validate their feelings, and praise positive coping skills. Reframing negative experiences will help your child identify healthy reactions and practice them.

  • Create a perspective

When something embarrassing happens to your child, it can feel like everyone is thinking about it as much as he/she is, when in reality most kids will have moved on by the next day. Learning to put his feelings and experiences in context will help your child gain perspective and build resilience.

For the full version of this article with more tips and information on helping children with embarrassment, please click here. For more information, resources and tips from the Child Mind Institute, please visit their website.