8 Ideas To Teach Children To Defend Themselves Without Violence
Today, bullying is more prevalent than we would like. Unfortunately, violence has become very common. Despite this, we must teach children to defend themselves without violence and never encourage them to also hit if they have been hit.
All parents are afraid that our children will fall into that situation and we try by all means to get them away from that situation, but sometimes it is not possible. Therefore, it is important that we teach them that they can solve problems without using violence. Here we tell you some ideas. Do not lose detail!
Teach children to defend themselves without violence
From a young age, children tend to instinctively act aggressively, making use of their body (biting, pushing, hitting, yelling, etc.). If these behaviors are not corrected in due course, it may end up becoming a problem in the future.
It is important to teach them to recognize their feelings in these unpleasant situations and to know how to handle and express them appropriately. If a child has accumulated anger, in the end they will end up having aggressive behaviors and cause, in many cases, sadness.
It is also essential that we help them manage their frustration, as young children often express this by getting angry and hitting. It is at that moment that we have to explain to them that this way of acting is not going to help them solve the problem or make what they were doing go better. However, if you do it calmly and try again, you will end up getting the result you want.
Teach to defend oneself without violence by listening to our children
If our son, when he comes home, tells us that he has been beaten or that he is frequently picked on, we should not ignore him. Maybe for us they are just “children’s things”, but if the little one tells us about it, it is because he needs our attention. For that reason, we must attend to him and listen to him when he wants to tell us what has happened.
We must ask him how he has reacted, if it was something that only happened that day or if that behavior was repeated frequently. We have to do this whether it is our son who gives the shoves or if he is the one who receives them. We must not forget that what we want to do is teach our son to defend himself without violence, offering him some strategies to solve conflicts without using it.
Ideas for teaching children to defend themselves without violence
What can we do to teach our children to defend themselves without violence? Here we are going to present some keys so that you take them into account.
Help them to have their own criteria
We must teach them that they have to treat others as they like to be treated, that the best way to defend themselves is through dialogue, to defend their rights and establish their personal limits, that they should not let anyone trespass.
Teach them to avoid dangerous situations and ask for help
They need to understand the difference between being a “snitch” and “asking for help.” Many children who suffer violence are silent because they believe that this is how they would be snitching. We must make it clear that this is not the same as asking for help when they are suffering.
Teach them to accept themselves as they are
It is important that we teach our children to love themselves, to accept their identity, race and family. You have to give them love and affection. A child who feels loved by his family has a much better chance that his social relationships will be successful.
Give them confidence to strengthen their identity
It is essential that our children trust us and that we do not scold them when they express an opinion different from ours. In this way, when the children have a problem or there is something that bothers them, they will tell us about it. We must always take their opinion into account and, if they do not say it properly, we will explain that they can say it in a more appropriate way.
Listen to them when there is a conflict
When the boys tell us that they have had a conflict, it is important that we ask them how they have managed it and if this behavior occurs frequently or has been temporary. Listening to them will allow them to free themselves from the tension that this conflict produces in them when they unburden themselves with us.
Teach them the importance of self-control
Children have to know from the time they are small that the one who beats the most or the most violence is not the strongest, but the one who respects and does not allow himself to be carried away by aggressive impulses. They have to learn to use dialogue as a tool to deal with conflict.
Encourage empathy
The value of empathy is very important in these cases; They must know how to put themselves in the place of others and not do what they do not like to be done.
Not giving importance to things that are not true
We have to explain that when someone offends us with things that are not even true, we do not have to give them importance. The most important thing is that we trust ourselves and that we love ourselves so that nothing they say about us affects us.
Regarding teaching children to defend themselves without violence …
We must teach children to defend themselves without violence from the time they are small, and they must understand that violence has nothing good and that we can defend ourselves in other ways respecting others. Parents have to foster tolerance and respect from home in order to avoid any type of violence, both inside and outside the home.
These ideas that we give you can help you so that, from a young age, you can educate your children in non-violence. Conflicts can be resolved through dialogue and active listening. We, the parents, must be an example.
