How To Teach An Outspoken Child To Show Respect (Without Dimming Their Light)

Your child or teenager just said something so cringey you can’t believe they said it! Sometimes a kid can be too loud or too blunt and say things that hurt people’s feelings.

Kids can seem oblivious to how other people react to their words when viewed from an adult’s perspective. Kids often haven’t developed the ability to notice when people pull away because of their tone, volume or level of speech.

As parents, we are blown away by how a kid can miss all of the signs. You know your child has a good heart, but they might have adopted a mindset of “I speak my truth” or “I tell it like it is” despite your caution against always saying everything they think.

Even when they are in the middle of these conflicts, you know they are coming from a good place. But, you worry if they tell their classmates everything they think, it’s going to be a disaster.

Is it really necessary to point out to their classmate their project has no value? Do they realize it makes them the center of attention when they comment on everything being discussed?

Kids and teenagers often don’t have the skills to read the room. They struggle to self-regulate and self-monitor their behavior. In other words, sometimes, they can be filterless. Unfortunately, children don’t come pre-loaded with a social filter app, and there is not one available for download.

Telling your child to think before they speak does not always solve the problem because solving this is not so simple. If your kid could change on their own, they would. The truth is, they need your wise counsel and support to make it stick.

Read the full article on YourTango.