Dear Care and Feeding: Am I raising a doormat?
We’ve had numerous conversations about how it’s important to set boundaries and the power of saying no. We’ve roleplayed setting boundaries with her dolls, and it works then but not with her classmates. My daughter is also very skinny and a good head shorter than most of the rest of her classmates. My wife thinks she might be scared of her classmates physically, though I’ve had no reason to think that would be the case. Regardless, she’s being walked all over by her peers.
I’m sure you meant well with the doll roleplays, but she needs to witness someone advocating for her in the moment to make it stick. In my situation, I dealt with everything from students taking snacks out of my lunchbox to influencing me to do things that I knew would get me in trouble because I couldn’t tell them “no.
Getting her teacher onboard with this is extremely important, and I would suggest scheduling a meeting to discuss something along the lines of what worked for me. Additionally, during playdates, you can reach out to her friends’ parents to ensure their kiddos are coached to ask for your daughter’s input on activities, snacks, etc. I have a feeling that kids will be open to it if they truly care about her.
Last, but not least—I don’t think it would hurt to have your daughter speak with a therapist to help uncover any underlying issues you’re unaware of. That helped me immensely and continues to help me today. But please—don’t call your kid a pushover or a doormat, because she’s doing the best she can with the resources she has available to her. This is going to be a process, but she needs adults and peers modeling the correct behavior in the moment to help her get through it.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ed Begley Jr. And His Daughter Continue Adorable Oscars Tradition — And Pose With Their ProofThe actor and his daughter didn't hide how they arrived at the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday.
Read more »
Cheer Coach Arrested After Having Sex with Daughter’s Underage Boyfriend Over 300 TimesOklahoma high school cheer coach Jennifer Hawkins, 45, was arrested for allegedly having sex with her daughter’s 16-year-old ex-boyfriend more than 300 times, according to Oklahoma City police officers.
Read more »
Salma Hayek brings 15-year-old daughter Valentina as date to Oscars 2023The “House of Gucci” actress matched with her teen daughter at the Academy Awards tonight, coordinating in bright Gucci gowns.
Read more »
Jamie Lee Curtis Addresses Inclusivity & Binary Awards Categories “As The Mother Of A Trans Daughter”In an appearance backstage at the Academy Awards after claiming her first statuette, Jamie Lee Curtis offered her thoughts on Hollywood’s historic tendency to separate award nominees into binary categories based on gender Oscars
Read more »