Purpose
Help caregivers understand and use assertive communication to strengthen a child’s realistic confidence.
Lesson Explanation
Assertive means clear and respectful: not aggressive and not silent.
Worked example: Use: “Please stop. I do not like that.” and “I need a turn after you.”
How to apply it safely: Teach a child to get an adult for threats, bullying, or unsafe behavior.
Confidence is built by repeated experiences of belonging, effort, learning, and manageable responsibility. This lesson does not replace professional support where a child’s distress is persistent or severe.
Practice Questions
1. A child says, “Please stop. I do not like that,” to a peer who is bothering them. What kind of communication does this lesson call this?
View Answer
Assertive – clear and respectful, not aggressive and not silent.
2. A child stays completely silent when a peer repeatedly takes their belongings, never saying anything. What does this lesson call this response, in contrast to assertive communication?
View Answer
This reflects the “silent” end of the spectrum this lesson contrasts with assertiveness – not speaking up at all.
3. A child shouts angrily and shoves a peer who took their toy, rather than using words. How does this lesson categorize this response, compared to assertive communication?
View Answer
This reflects the “aggressive” end of the spectrum this lesson contrasts with assertiveness – forceful rather than clear and respectful.
4. A parent teaches their child to say, “I need a turn after you,” when waiting for a toy. What kind of communication is this lesson describing?
View Answer
Assertive communication – clear and respectful, stating a need directly without aggression or silence.
5. A child experiences bullying at school and doesn’t tell an adult, trying to handle it alone using assertive phrases. What does this lesson say a child should do in situations involving threats, bullying, or unsafe behavior?
View Answer
Get an adult – this lesson specifically teaches that a child should involve an adult for threats, bullying, or unsafe behavior, not handle it alone.
6. What are the two example phrases given in this lesson for assertive communication?
View Answer
“Please stop. I do not like that.” and “I need a turn after you.”
7. A child practices saying “please stop, I don’t like that” at home, then successfully uses it when a peer teases them at school. What does this illustrate?
View Answer
That practicing assertive language in advance (similar to Lesson 1’s conversation-starter practice) can help a child use it effectively in a real situation.
8. A parent teaches their child that being assertive means “getting your way no matter what.” Does this match this lesson’s definition?
View Answer
No – assertive means clear and respectful, not aggressive; it is not about forcing an outcome, but expressing a need or boundary respectfully.
9. A child is being physically threatened by an older student at school. Based on this lesson, is the expectation that the child should handle this with assertive language alone?
View Answer
No – this lesson specifically says a child should get an adult for threats, bullying, or unsafe behavior, not rely solely on assertive communication.
10. A quiet child who tends toward silence when upset is coached to say, “I need a turn after you,” the next time a peer cuts in line. What communication style is being taught here, per this lesson?
View Answer
Assertive communication – moving from silence toward clear, respectful expression.
11. An aggressive child who tends to yell or push when frustrated is coached to instead say, “Please stop, I do not like that.” What shift does this represent, according to this lesson?
View Answer
A shift from aggressive communication toward assertive communication – still expressing the boundary, but respectfully rather than forcefully.
12. Why does this lesson specifically teach children to involve an adult for unsafe situations, rather than relying only on assertive language?
View Answer
Because assertive communication is appropriate for everyday peer conflicts, but threats, bullying, or unsafe behavior require adult intervention for the child’s safety.