The No-Knock Policy

From FOCUS ON THE FAMILY, Today, 19 Mar 2008 edition

 

The No-Knock Policy

By Dr James Dobson

 

We’ve been talking these last few days about youngsters

who need a little help coping with peer pressure and rejection.

 

Another suggestion for parents is that they teach their kids

what I call a “no-knock” policy.

 

One of the common characteristics of a person who feels

inadequate is that he or she talks about it to anyone

who will listen.

 

This self-criticism isn’t as uncommon as we might think.

You may even be surprised by how often you tell your friends

about your own faults and while you’re babbling about all

your inadequacies, the listener is formulating impressions

of you.

 

After all, you’re the expert on that subject. If you think

you’re a loser, then others are going to tend to see you that way.

 

You can help your child understand this simple principle.

Teach him or her to accept blame and criticism when it’s valid,

but not to continually talk about embarrassing flaws and failures.

 

If your kids learn to respect themselves, others will tend

to be more respectful, too.

 

It’s called a “no-knock” policy.