There’s no reason to worry if you notice your child’s behavior is selfish—it’s normal for little ones to show this. However, it is best for parents to try to help address and eradicate these attitudesbecause children don’t know they are.
The word selfishness is defined as excessive self-love, this causes disproportionate attention to be paid to one’s own interest, according to the RAE. But what else do we know about this?
Selfishness
From another point of view, there are those who believe it in selfishness there is primarily a lack of empathyand the need to put your own needs first.
This results in someone selfish who wants to keep everything or appropriate what they like. On the other hand, they usually don’t think about the world around them and when they interact with others it is because they are only looking for some benefit.
However, the good news is that social skills, empathy, sharing and flexibility are skills that are learned. However, education is necessary. And education takes time; a necessary time.
Tips for when a child is selfish
It is important to become aware of the weakness and harmful effects of being selfish, so we give you some tips that could be helpful for your child to stop being selfish.
Talk to your child if he is selfish
Tell him clearly what belongs to him. You can tell him what belongs to each other and the things or objects he shouldn’t use. You should tell him when you go out with the child to visit a friend or if you have visitors. Moreover, You have to teach him that it’s better to share toys and have fun with his mates, instead of playing alone.
establish shifts
It is advisable to establish turns to use the items with fair times to avoid conflicts. This is in case your child is gathered with several children to be distracted and they have only a few toys, books or sweets.
Activate generous initiatives
When adults have generous initiative, the child may be allowed to be a part of the business. When you are performing an altruistic act, explain to him what you are doing and the satisfaction that comes from being generous.
Encourage the little one to choose some toys or clothes that no longer fit him. Therefore, you can give it as a gift on special occasions such as Christmas or charity events. This way other children will be able to enjoy the gifts, your child will learn to share and put aside selfish behavior.
When he has difficulty sharing, remind him how happy the recipients will be and how proud you will be to know that your child is very generous.
Teach by example
Parents are the role model for their children. In this regard, it is good to create an atmosphere of generosity in the family on the initiative of the parents. In this way the child will be able to internalize this virtue and begin to have a progressive opening in his environment. He reminds that education starts at home.
The first sharing initiatives shown by children are towards their parents, so these actions must be acknowledged with a lot of love. Therefore, they will motivate it to be a frequent practice, even with people outside the home.
Is your child selfish? Encourage teamwork
When a child is selfish and you put him to work as a team, he can be enriched by the exchange of ideas and experiences. This will allow you to accept criticism, be more communicative, generous, supportive and responsible. Therefore, he will have more self-confidence.
The presence of an adult is essential when groups are made up of small children. However, it may be best if it only intervenes when necessary. You can guide and help them, but it is better for the children to successfully complete the main task.
One way to explain the importance and benefits of teamwork to children is to integrate them into teams of basketball, football or any type of sport where they depend on each other to achieve their goal. This way they will notice that one scores the point, but the game is won by the whole team.
People are selfish by nature
Finally, It is believed that people are selfish by nature, as their survival depends on it. In the case of children, that doesn’t mean they are selfish by itselfbut that they are in a stage of development where they are the protagonists because they have not yet developed the empathy.
For this reason, when your child is selfish, we suggest you put these tips into practice and, if this behavior persists, we suggest you request psychotherapeutic follow-up.
This will allow you to increase your self-esteem and understand the importance of the world around you. And that’s it In society, the best benefits come from being selfless and generous.
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