Unconditional Acceptance May Help Kids Cope
Unconditional Acceptance May Help Kids Cope
November 4, 2014
Reuters — Kids who feel accepted and supported by their peers “no matter what” are less likely to have negative feelings about themselves after a setback, new research suggests.
Children in the study who spent time thinking about how they had felt accepted and valued by their peers, even when they made mistakes, were less likely to feel badly about themselves after getting poor grades three weeks later.
“I think it is a very interesting and important study mainly because it shows that our experiences and memories of significant others’ reactions to our failures are very important in shaping our self-feelings,” comments Prof. Avi Assor of BGU’s Department of Education.
“The effects are not strong, but they suggest that if close others respond in an accepting way continually, this would have a strong protective effect on children,” adds Prof. Assor.
Prof. Assor says it’s not enough for adults to show unconditional regard for their kids.
“It is also important to demonstrate in your own behavior adequate ways of coping and regulating yourself following setbacks, perhaps even talk about these with your child,” says Prof. Assor.
Read more on the Reuters website >>
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