What would your tween do if…

Tweens need to know how to deal with situations that could be disarming, embarrassing, or awkward. You can train yours how to respond with confidence rather than feeling intimidated or embarrassed. Let’s get started.

1. What would you do if you were running down the stairs at school, racing to be first one in the lunch line, lost your balance, and landed on the floor?

Yikes! For unexpected situations train your tween to stand right up, look at who’s watching, laugh, and say, “Boy, I wasn’t expecting that to happen!” By laughing at herself, she invites others to laugh with, not at her.

2. What would you do if you were the only one in class who hadn’t turned in the permission slip?

A lot can ride on this. Train your tween to apologize, take responsibility, and solve the problem without excuses. “I’m sorry, Ms. Smith. I left it in my mom’s office. May I text her and have her to email it to you?” By being honest and asking for the teacher’s cooperation it’s easier to solve the problem.

3. What would you do if you were called on and didn’t know the answer?

This never feels good. Train your tween to speak the truth. Without pausing, look at the teacher, and say, “I wish I knew, but I don’t. I’m sorry Mr. Ramos.” This shows honesty, responsibility, and respect.

You can make training fun by practicing together, switching roles, and coming up with more examples. Enjoy preparing your tween to transform what could be humiliating or upsetting experiences into wins!