As a parent, you aim for your children to experience happiness and possess a positive self-esteem, also known as self-image. Your words and actions play a crucial role, impacting them from infancy. Your child absorbs your tone of voice, body language, and every expression.
While self-esteem may naturally vary among children, if you notice that your child's self-esteem is low, here are nine ways you can assist in enhancing it.
Guide your child in acquiring new skills. For a baby, achieving milestones like holding a cup or taking first steps fosters a sense of understanding and joy. As children mature, activities such as learning to dress, read, or ride a bike provide opportunities for self-esteem to flourish.
Acknowledge and celebrate the effort. Refrain from solely praising outcomes, such as receiving an A, or inherent qualities like intelligence or athleticism. Instead, commend children for their diligence, improvement, and positive attitude. For instance, express appreciation for their hard work on a project, progress in spelling tests, or commitment to practicing the piano. By focusing on this form of praise, children are encouraged to invest effort, pursue goals, and persist in their endeavors, increasing the likelihood of success.
Be truthful in your praise. Compliments that don't align with genuine accomplishments may seem insincere. For instance, telling children they played exceptionally well in a game they acknowledge wasn't their best can come across as hollow and artificial. Instead, you can express your pride in their perseverance by saying, "Even though that wasn’t your best game, I'm proud of you for not giving up." Offer encouragement by adding, "Tomorrow, you'll do well."
Serve as a positive role model. By demonstrating diligence in everyday tasks such as preparing meals or doing the dishes, you provide a strong example for your child. This sets the expectation for them to invest effort into activities like homework, tidying up toys, or making the bed. Serve as a positive role model. By demonstrating diligence in everyday tasks such as preparing meals or doing the dishes, you provide a strong example for your child. This sets the expectation for them to invest effort into activities like homework, tidying up toys, or making the bed.
Refrain from being overly critical. The feedback children receive from others significantly influences their self-perception. Employing harsh words or making negative statements, such as labeling a child as lazy, tends to be demotivating and can negatively impact their self-esteem. Instead, provide corrections with patience, concentrating on what you'd like them to do differently next time. If necessary, guide them by demonstrating how to improve.
Concentrate on your child's strengths. Take note of their accomplishments and activities they genuinely enjoy. Provide opportunities for them to further develop these strengths. Emphasizing their strengths more than their weaknesses contributes to fostering a positive self-image and, in turn, enhances their overall behavior.
Acknowledge positive moments. Children may naturally fixate on what went wrong, such as not performing well on a test. Encourage a balanced perspective by having them identify something positive when they express self-doubt or dissatisfaction.
Promote positive and wholesome friendships. Instill in children the understanding that the most valuable friends are those who treat them with kindness and uplift them through their words and actions. Encourage kids to steer clear of individuals who engage in behaviors that bring others down. Instead, guide them to cultivate relationships with friends who accept them for who they are and contribute to their sense of self-worth. Encourage them to reciprocate and be that supportive friend for others.
Empower children to contribute and be generous. Witnessing the impact of their actions on others fosters the growth of self-esteem. Whether assisting at home, participating in a school service project, or performing a favor for a sibling, engaging in helpful and kind deeds contributes to positive feelings.
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