Improving Self Esteem In Children
Self esteem describes a child's general feelings of self-worth. Negative or positive self esteem influences our desires, interests, personal beliefs, abilities and actions, says the Nemours Foundation. Furthermore, parents play a critical role in developing and improving self esteem in children. The Nemours Foundation puts it this way: "As kids try, fail, try again, fail again, and then finally succeed, they develop ideas about their own capabilities. At the same time, they're creating a self-concept based on interactions with other people." Experts say there are several things we, as parents, can do to improve confidence in our youngsters.
Positive encouragement is one of the best ways to build self esteem in your child. Celebrate the small victories with your child when he or she gets an "A" on a test or wins an award at school. Perhaps you'll go out for ice cream, buy a special present or hold a small party for the important milestones in your little one's life. Children can be very sensitive and receptive to their parents' feedback, says the Nemours Foundation, so it is important to praise your child when he or she has demonstrated significant effort -- even if the end result is not success. It is important that parents don't lie to the child and over-inflate each success, yet parents should always provide honest, consistent and encouraging feedback.
When improving self esteem in children, you must sometimes catch and correct the inaccurate beliefs your child has. It is essential that you listen to what your child is saying very carefully and correct any falsehoods or negativity immediately before a patterned way of thinking develops. For instance, your child may say, "I failed this test; I am a failure!" It is then your opportunity to step in and say, "You are not a failure, honey. Everybody fails sometimes. We can work on the hard parts so you do better next time. Practice makes perfect!" Another method is the inquisitive approach, where you encourage the child to reassess his or her statements as a way of building esteem. You might ask, "What makes you feel like you are a failure? How did you do on the last test you took? How are you doing in your other subjects? What questions did you get right on the test? What would you do differently next time to prevent a low score?" Your children will have healthier self concepts if you help them set realistic standards in evaluating their performances.
At the heart of improving self esteem in children is consistent, loving support. More than anything, children want to be loved, encouraged, accepted and valued by their parents. The more they feel these positive emotions, the more inspired they are to share these same sentiments with others they meet. Of course, you can't control what happens at school or in public places, and you certainly can't ensure your child only comes into contact with other nice people. However, taking the time out of your schedule to talk to your child about his or her day, eat a meal together or participate in a fun family activity can go a long way in confidence building and arming your child with the necessary tools to deal with whatever issues come up in the outside world.
Related topics about Self Esteem in Children
Why It's Important To Build Self Esteem
Improving and building esteem leads to so many thoughts, feelings and actions that are beneficial to your life. When you have high esteem, you feel worthy of happiness, love and respect. You will find it easier to make and achieve goals, state your desires and values, and obtain lasting happiness when you are self confident.
Advice For Building Teen Self Esteem
Dr. Robert Cloninger, a researcher at Washington University in St. Louis, says the problem with many parents today is that they tend to over-saturate their children with praise and compliments unconditionally, which does little for building self esteem.
How To Improve Self Esteem
When you're learning how to improve self esteem, it can be overwhelming to try it on your own. Sometimes starting a new hobby, activity or social group inadvertently leads to confidence building. Creative activities like gardening, photography, playing a musical instrument and writing are great ways to awaken your passions and boost self-esteem.