Is your child the only kid in class that gets no cards? Popularity contests in school really hurt. To you, it may be just a few less Valentine’s Day cards. For your kids, it’s just one more way to be dissed and dismissed by classmates. Is there anything you can do to make kids feel better about being less popular? How can you help them improve their social standing?
Commiserate. If you were a social outcast in school, share your Valentine’s Day story with your kids. Don’t stop there. You know all those hindsight regrets you have? Share those too. Let your kids know what you would have done differently if you had a do-over. Use your negative experiences to improve their social standing. If you were popular in school, share your trade secrets. Either way, give them a little time first. Jumping in with solutions can deepen the wound.
Let kids vent without judgment. Your child just came home from a bad day at school. There are 30 kids in the class. Your child received two Valentine cards. One was from the teacher. Put yourself in their shoes. They don’t want your help just yet. They’d just like someone to listen while they vent about their day. Nod and empathize. This is not the time to pass judgment or offer solutions.
Have confidence in your child. Let them work this out on their own if possible. By doing so, you give them more than just a one time solution. Today, it’s Valentine’s Day cards. Tomorrow it will be something else. By handling these small struggles on their own, kids learn to handle the bigger ones later in life.
Give your child something to talk about. Many kids are snubbed in school because they simply have nothing to add to a conversation. To put it bluntly, their lives are dull. Get them out into the world. What’s better? Get out there with them. Do something offbeat and interesting at least once a week. Maybe you’ll both get more Valentine’s Day cards next year.
Teach your kids to work it. We may not like the fact that life has become a popularity contest. Unfortunately, it has. We all have to deal with it if we want to be successful. Give your child the tools they need to gain popularity. Show them how to shine. There’s nothing wrong with improving on their personal appearance and social skills. This year may be a bust. Luckily, Valentine’s Day comes every year. Teach them that action brings change for the future. Plus, it’s a lot more fun than moping over a few valentines.
More from Jaipi:
Raising Kids Who Think Outside the Box
Five Smart Habits of Successful Kids
Kids Growing Up Too Fast? Why Let Them?