Building Self-Worth in Children Means Quality Interactions to Prevent Bullying

She said, “OFF. OFF. OFF.” She tugged at my coat sleeve. Toddler Claire was telling me to take my coat off when I stepped inside her house for a moment because she wanted me to stay! Oh, the heart strings were singing! I hadn’t planned to stay but I wanted her to know I understood what she was saying, so I took my coat off and stayed just a few minutes, holding her. It’s so important for children to know we are listening and understand. Children do need to know they are heard. This experience was a heart connecting time. There can’t be too many of those. And they all keep building quality relationships, feelings of value and self-worth, and do nothing to encourage bullying, violence or self-destruction. Simple steps. Quality interaction. It is all doable, one step at a time.