Four Ways to Help Your Child Deal with Social Exclusion

As I am taking the special ed course, I become more aware of this topic…

Use conversation starters

  • Something funny that happened this week was…
  • If I could escape anywhere for just one day, it would be…
  • Something hard that I had to deal with this week was…
  • I wish my friends…
  • Something you don’t know about me is…
  • My favorite way to spend a day off is…

Make a friendship tree

Kids are usually tasked with making a family tree at some point in school, but making a friendship tree is a great way to help kids realize that they have many different friends in life. Just as family extends beyond the people living in your home, friendships blossom in a variety of contexts.

Start the tree with the friends your child knows the best (even the ones she doesn’t spend much time with), but cue your child to think about friends made in sports, through religious organizations, in extracurricular classes, or even at your local park. In filling the branches with friends from a wide variety of settings, girls learn to focus on the positive relationships in their lives. When kids see that they have more friends than the people sitting at their lunch table, they are empowered to strengthen those other branches and even add new ones by trying new clubs, sports, or activities.

Create a personal billboard

When friends constantly leave a child out, that child internalizes the message that he or she is unlikable or not a good friend. It’s important to help kids tap into their inner strengths and recognize that they are good friends to others.

Give your child a small poster board and ask her to think about her positive qualities. This can include anything from cracking funny jokes to creating cool games to giving great compliments. Next, explain that billboards are used to draw attention to things and showcase the highlights. Have your child put her name in the center of the poster board and ask her to create an eye-popping billboard that includes her positive traits. This is a great way to help kids recognize and focus on their strengths.

Problem-solve together

Reference: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/six_ways_to_help_your_child_deal_with_social_exclusion?fbclid=IwAR2x-khr5ru1aWk02h-87nerOT8pcO2nxSLzIZ3WIy-PnJGERE9FNv5-39U