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9. Create a sense of belonging.
Children need to feel connected and
welcomed, and this is vital to their
developing sense of self and their
trust in themselves and others.
Greet your child warmly every
morning and after school. Include
your child in on family meetings.
Creating warm and memorable
family traditions will build a sense
of tradition and closeness in the
family unit. Help your child develop
positive relationships with outside
family members, teachers, clergy,
coaches, and peers.
10. Teach your child healthy
mental boundaries. Explain that
they have a choice in choosing peers
who bring out the best in them and
in staying away from people who
don’t. Show them how to set and
enforce limits with others and be
assertive. Role play how to handle
multiple situations in which their
values and limits may be tested so
that they feel empowered in dealing
with this when it arises.
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