Friendship advice to ignore

Here’s some friendship advice I think we should ignore. Teach your child to be nice.Of course we want our children to be kind. But over the years, I’ve started to wonder whether our determination to raise children who are agreeable, accommodating and well liked sometimes comes at a cost.Because what happens when being a good friend means ignoring the uneasy feeling in your stomach? What happens when fitting in matters more than being yourself?In this Parent Pause, I’m thinking about the difference between belonging and conforming, why children sometimes abandon parts of themselves in order to be accepted, and why the people we trust most are not always the nicest people in the room.Perhaps our children don’t need the courage to be liked quite so much but they need the courage to be known.Thank you for pausing with me. Take care. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kimmccabe.substack.com/subscribe