over confidence in a child.....

We have all come across or worked or had friends with children whom we find difficult to tolerate because they are so full of themselves and their own importance.  Especially when they are young.

I have had experiences where I have spoken to by a child, where they have shown little respect - often by children where I have known the whole family, and the child/ren have heard the way parents or other adults speak to me and other adults and therefore think it is acceptable to speak that way - it is not!

I have also been around children, where when they are between the ages of 2-4years what they say and how the deliver it is amusing and cute, but in a few short years they will be looked on as precocious and rude, should we encourage this behaviour at their young age?

My own opinion is children need to know when, and how to communicate with their peers and elders, and if we inflate their confidence too much, they come across in a negative way, and sometimes have trouble forming and maintaining friendships.

I do believe we should teach and encourage children to be confident to converse and socialise with all ages, but we also need to educate them in a way that is appropriate for their ages and those around them.

I grew up in a Vicarage, and with that met a lot of different people, ranging from titled to the everyday people we all mix with, it was of course important that I was brought up to be respectful to all these people, BUT to also show respect to my family by how I behaved in social gatherings.

I believe that each of us, whether parent, nanny, friend, relative has a role to teach children what is acceptable social behaviour for them, and us as their carers! We want them to show respect for us, as their carers and to those we meet. We want the children to be successful and to have friends, we want people and our friends/family to like them and enjoy spending time with them, we want them to be loved and to have solid friendships.....

Give those children praise, give them encouragement, tell them how special they are, but in that giving of praise surround them with invisible barriers, so that they shine as they truly are, not as a child they are not!