Why You’re a Superhero
Fact: Like a human x-ray machine, you can read your child’s mind and see their heart.
You’ve memorized every feature of their face. You are the expert in how they’re feeling and behaving. You know when there are cracks in their heart or when they’re not acting like themselves.
You know it’s time to get on your cape and spring into action. But in this case, your eyes and ears are doing the hard work. And like most superheroes, you try to fly under the radar and preserve their dignity.
You know they are superheroes in training so you let them problem solve and stand up for themselves…until, of course, they need your powers of wisdom, judgment, communication. You know they’re watching you. Studying you.
You know that taking a breath and reacting in the right way when they’re feeling demeaned by peers will raise their comfort level and motivate them to continue coming to you. You don’t overreact or under react. You know that listening and then saying something like, “you don’t deserve that” will help them relax and open up.
Opening up. That’s the prize. According to studies, over 64% of kids don’t tell an adult when they’ve been bullied. Reasons range from everything from embarrassment to being worried they will be blamed or called a “tattler.”
You’re in it for the long haul. You know this is a work in progress but you also know that if they keep coming back to you; if you keep asking the right questions; if you keep offering unconditional love, they will survive. They may even thrive. These are all teachable moments. Maybe a little painful but if they know they have backup – you, the superhero – they will eventually become superheroes themselves.
And we can never have enough superheroes in the world.
