Assertiveness in children

The development and growth of our children does not only include physical abilities, but it is very important to take care of mental health and social education of the children. Assertiveness is a concept related to the social skills of people that must be taken into account when educating children

The development and growth of our children does not only include physical abilities, but it is very important to take care of mental health and social education of the children.

Assertiveness is a concept related to the social skills of people that must be taken into account when educating children so that they are able to relate and keep their self-esteem in good condition. But, do we know what assertiveness is? What is assertiveness? According to Dr. Eduardo Marco Eduardo Mureta Reyes

of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), assertiveness is defined as' the ability to act or express one's own ideas and feelings in an appropriate way, that is, in serene way, without manifesting anxiety or aggressiveness to one or more people.

The expert considers assertiveness of great importance since it produces a personal satisfaction on the one hand, accepting problems and conflicting situations and on the other, establishing positive relationships with others.

There are two types of assertiveness, as Dr. Mureta explains on the website of the Mexican Association of Alternatives in Psychology (AMAPSI) . The first is the

assertiveness of approval , when the liking is expressed towards the behavior of others or towards the situation that happens around. The second is that ofrejection, when the adult or child is able to show their disagreement about the attitude of other people or about events without causing harm.Assertiveness in children It is important to know how to transmit to the children an assertive behavior that allows them to promote their social skills

. Assertiveness includes a way of acting and communicating at the extremes of passivity and aggression.

The passive childrenare those who do not manage to act in front of those situations that are uncomfortable or to which they feel attacked, for example when they allow their schoolmates to make fun of it. This attitude damages the child's self-esteem.

On the opposite side is aggressive child behavior. In this case, the child knows how to defend himself, but he does it in a violent and dominant way, without taking into account the feelings of others. For this reason it is essential that parents educate their children in assertiveness, teach them to defend their opinions and rights without causing harm to the rest, and also to express constructive criticisms

and to recognize their own mistakes. Here you have more information on how to educate in assertiveness. Sources: Mexican Association of Alternatives in Psychology

Patricia García . Collaborator of GuiaInfantil.com