How To Stop Your Children From Comparing Themselves
Every moment we spend online there is an opportunity for us to compare ourselves. This article is designed to help parents guide our children through life without the need for comparison.
Ask Them What They Think About Comparison
Comparison is judging ourselves based on another person. When we continuously see the success of others around us, we tend to judge ourselves negatively. Ask your child, “Why do we compare ourselves to other people all the time” and see what they say. Let’s try to understand what they believe comparison is and debunk the idea that it’s necessary or even involuntary.
Let Them Know The Truth About Social Media
Social media is filled with dishonest content. It is often used to express who people want to be, rather than who they are. Although adults won’t have a hard time spotting the dishonest content, kids will struggle to tell the difference between what is real and what is fake. Here’s an idea, open up Instagram with your child and see if you can spot the photoshopped images.
Stop Comparing Too!
It’s important to remember that if you are constantly comparing yourself to others your child will feel like comparisons are a natural tendency to have. Try not to be vocal about wanting the newest car, the biggest wedding, or the latest Apple product that your friend has, and practice what you preach when it comes to helping your kids escape the comparison trap!
Use Healthy Comparison Examples
Whilst we need to try our best to limit comparisons, we should be able to explain to our children that there are healthy comparisons in life. These include comparing ourselves to who we were yesterday in order to grow and change for the better. Teach your child this healthy comparison, and hopefully, they will understand that daily improvements lead to progress and even happiness.
What your child sees from an early age is what they believe is normal. Let’s be more mindful around them by being more mindful of our own behaviours too.
This article was inspired by episode #52 of The Parent-Teacher Project entitled The Dangers Of Comparison with Judi Prasser, and Nathan Frazer.
Listen to the entire episode below.
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