Woman overhears a 'bolder mom' telling her daughter how to stand up for herself without being mean and it's an ingenious tip

The values we teach our kids are what they will build with time. Incorporating the same in parenting also plays a vital role in shaping their personalities and determining the kind of adults they become. For instance, kids who don’t learn boundaries can grow up to become reckless even without realizing it. On the other hand, children who are not allowed to let loose can become timid and lack confidence. A parent coach and mom, Kirah Johnson (@safetostruggle), shared a memorable encounter she and her toddler had at a pool with another mother-daughter duo. When the girls fell off their float and another toddler unknowingly grabbed their float, the other mom had an insightful example to set. Johnson shared the lesson she learned in hopes that other parents can reflect too. 

The mom mentioned that her daughter was playing with another toddler in the pool. The duo were using a float when they accidentally slipped and fell off of it. Within moments, a young lad quickly grabbed their float and began to play with it. “Both girls shrunk back, defeated. The other mom stepped into coach mode,” Johnson explained. Before she could do anything, the other mom stepped in and had a confident and decent way to approach the situation. She used the incident as a learning moment and told her daughter to politely ask for the float. “Tell him I was playing with that,” the other mom suggested. However, her daughter was uncomfortable and replied, “I can’t. I don’t wanna be mean.” 

Patiently explaining the difference to her, the mom’s words touched Johnson and her daughter too. The mom insightfully shared, “It's not meant to stand up for yourself. You can take up space just like he can. Now use a confident voice and go get it.” The girl mustered her courage and with her changed perspective, went up to the boy and politely explained to him. The boy even apologized and returned the float, leaving the two girls to get back to playing. Johnson was taken aback by the wonderful way the mom turned the situation around. It was a learning experience for her which gave her and her daughter a “confidence boost.” 

In her caption, she explained that she would have taken another approach instead that wouldn’t have been as efficient. “I would’ve said ‘Ah, that stinks. Oh well, it’s crowded here. What else do you want to play?’ But instead, we got to borrow the power of a bolder mom and a brave kid,” she noted. Thanking the mom in her caption, Johnson’s experience became a learning lesson for several fellow parents. Many pointed out the importance of these seemingly small lessons that have an impact in the long run. Others thanked the mom for sharing the ingenious approach. @beccajanebell wrote, “I’ve been doing this with my daughter! I tell her to use her ‘big girl voice’ and I’ll stand near her. It’s sinking in!” @universal_observer added, “Amazing on all 3 ends. The little girl standing up for herself, the mother’s parenting and the way the boy said okay and got off.” @kristen.coggins remarked, “Such an important life lesson for all ages.”

You can follow Kirah Johnson (@safetostruggle) on Instagram for more parenting content.