You see your child moving toward some kids to play with them, but she is rejected. She then proceeds to another set of kids, and yet still, they also didn't want anything to do with her.
Seeing how that hurt her and how devastated she became at that moment, what do you do as a parent?
This was me not long ago, which made me very sad because I didn't know kids could behave in this manner.
It's really heartbreaking to see your child go through such pain, but hey, you are the parent, and you must always be ready for things like that, so I had to do something quickly.
How I handled the situation and what I had to tell my child to help her through will be revealed shortly, plus other great tips that can help your child through this challenging moment.
Before we do that, I believe it will do us all an excellent service if I lay down how peer rejection can be damaging to our kids.
In other words, the effects of peer rejection on kids.
Effects of peer rejection on children
1. Loneliness;
It's pretty evident that when someone is rejected by his peers, the first visible effect it can have on the person is that he becomes lonely without anyone around him who he can count on for physical or emotional support.
This can also be said about kids who have also been rejected by their colleagues.
2. Low self-esteem;
Another dangerous effect of peer rejection among children is low self-esteem. Low self-esteem is when someone loses his self-confidence and might think he is worthless.
If not handled at the early stages of your child's life, this can be very dangerous because your child might have that mentality that he is worthless and grow up with that always playing in his head, leading to him becoming suicidal or worse.
3. Social anxiety;
Again this is another long-term effect on a child's life. Social anxiety means that your child will always become worried that he might do something embarrassing whenever he finds himself hanging out with people.
Since we are familiar with how peer rejection affects kids, we can now look at how we can help our kids deal with this situation.
Related topic; How to be a positive mom at home
Consequences for disrespectful child
How to help a child through peer rejection
1. Ask your child what happened;
Knowing why your child got rejected can help you understand and identify the problem, which can also help address the issue and solve it to the root.
The process of him telling you the problem can also be helpful to him too because saying what actually happened will, in a way, heal him from the pain he is carrying.
2. Show empathy;
Let your child know that you care about what happened to him when he confronts you about him being rejected.
Let him know that you understand what he is going through by putting it to him like " they don't want you to play with them, right?" and then reassure him that all is well and you know what he is going through.
By comforting him this way, he will feel heard and calm a little.
3. Let them know its part of life;
Though it can be excruciating, letting them understand that there is nothing wrong with what they are going through and that it is just part of life can help lessen things.
I tell my kids that sometimes, things will not go the way they want them to, and they should accept it like that.
Though they might find that unfair but thats how things are, and there is nothing you can do about it.
4. Join your friends and family;
Where do his friends play? Why not take him to that playground the next time you plan on going out?
Going to a playground where your child knows most of the kids because they are his cousins, friends, or classmates will make him tend to enjoy playing with them without feeling rejected.
Conclusion.
I know it is a difficult situation when your child experiences this, and it is never the wish of any parent for this to happen.
I hope that the next time your child is rejected, these simple tips will help you save the situation.
Thanks for reading.
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