The power of "I don't care"

Obviously kids are very different.  Some are a little more "tough" and need to learn to be kinder and some are a little kinder and need to learn to be tougher.  In the case of the latter, I have find that it's important to teach the power of "I don't care".

My son is two years older than my daughter.  Yet, because he's more sensitive, he is more easily riled by her chastising.  So I had to teach him the power of "I don't care".  At first, this was just a tactic to get him to not escalate a particular issue or argument.  Maybe they would be arguing about whether or not it was swim day.  He was right in saying it was and she was wrong in saying it wasn't.  But at 3 years old, you can't reason with her.  And my son has an absolute desire to express his knowledge when he's right.  Sure, I can intervene every time this occurs and declare the winner but that's not building a life long skill.  I would just be teaching them to come to me with their arguments.  Instead, I taught my son the power of "I don't care."

Nothing diffuses an argument more than "I don't care what you think. I know what I think and that's all that matters to me."  Now, clearly there is a time and place for this.  This would not be acceptable as something to say to an adult.  But fast forward 3-5 years, when your child is being picked on by someone at school.  Wouldn't it be handy if your child could say to the other "I don't care what you think."  There's no escalation.  Your child didn't have to involve an adult.  He was self-sufficient, confident and brave.

Certainly, this is not the end all be all.  Nothing ever is.  Everything has it's time and place.  But teaching your child the power of "I don't care" can sure come in handy.