Asking for Help is Not Scary

Does Your Child Know How to Ask For Help? 

As you prepare your child to start school, it is very important that they know how to ask for help. This can be hard for some of us to do – even adults!

How can I encourage my child to ask for help?

1. Praise them when they ask for help
2. Ensure you give them your time and attention when they ask for help
3. Show them that you understand when they talk to you. Try not to minimise their feelings or thoughts.
4. Avoid using any language that may communicate that asking for help is a sign of failure. This is a normal part of life! It is okay to make mistakes or not know how to do something.
5. Link their need for help with your own. Share about a time when you needed help with something similar. This models that everyone needs help from time to time.

If your child speaks English as a second language, this may feel even more intimidating. Help them by practising saying, “I need help” in English. This way, an adult will know something has happened and we can help them.

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Proverbs 22:6