YES please teach your kids about kindness, compassion and being inclusive of all, but please also teach them it is OK to be an arsehole sometimes. We all do it!
Reading a post about kindness on Scary Mommy today made me think of a few things. She wrote, “It’s hard to ignore the anger infesting our world these days. The news makes me want to weep and scream — sometimes at the same time. Comment sections on internet articles are filled with hate. Public shaming is rampant, and everyone seems angry about everything. People are sad and angry and hurting. Kindness. Don’t be an asshole seems to be the motto of good and decent people, but it takes more than not being an asshole; it takes kindness.
We can talk to our kids about being kind all day, but talking about it only gets us so far. We need to show them how to be kind too.”
While I totally agree we could all do with a good reminder to be kinder to one another, and it is one of the most important traits to teach children.
I do also think we often forget to teach our kids that it is OK to be grumpy, angry, and a total arsehole in their safe place. Their own home. Around their own people.
While this does not mean rude, disrespectful, nasty and cruel to friends and loved ones, I do mean that they have a right to feel off and be allowed to express that somehow. It is up to us as parents to help them find a way to express that.
I recently shared this post below on my own page, my seven year old came home cranky from school. I asked the question a few times what was wrong, if he wanted a cuddle, or to talk and got told a grumpy NO!!! That’s OK.
Then he snuck in for a cuddle when the time felt right for him. Telling me he didn’t know why he was cranky. That’s OK. It’s OK to be cranky.
Children, even teens, don’t always know why they are feeling upset or understand what emotion they are feeling. It is up to us to try and guide them through, and make them realise we don’t expect them to always be on their perfect behaviour. We will tolerate their arsehole behaviour within reason. That’s what parents do!
A blog post by ex early childhood teacher, Kate on picklebums, “Why You Should Hug Your Kids When They Are Being Horrible” also reiterates “Sometimes, when our kids feel bad about themselves, they feel like they don’t deserve kindness and respect so they don’t behave in a way that encourages people to give them kindness or respect. So when they get frustration and anger in return, their feelings are validated, they feel worse about themselves, and the vicious cycle begins.
Break that cycle by offering a hug and a reminder that making a mistake does not make them a bad person.” So true!Read the full blog here.
I totally agree with this meme that is floating around the web.
and this one is a great message.
Do you teach your kids it is OK to be an arsehole?
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liamsmum said
- 02 Jan 2017
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Hanny n Dave said
- 08 Dec 2016
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mom101628 said
- 13 Nov 2016
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aquamum said
- 12 Nov 2016
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aquamum said
- 12 Nov 2016
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mom134803 said
- 11 Nov 2016
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mom160421 said
- 10 Nov 2016
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june11 said
- 10 Nov 2016
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mom70876 said
- 10 Nov 2016
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mom64356 said
- 10 Nov 2016
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