Boosting my child's self-esteem
Self-esteem is the measure of how much an individual accepts and values themselves. It significantly impacts a person’s relationships with others and themselves, their expectations of life, achievements, and ability to manage challenges.
High self-esteem, not to be confused with ego, is crucial for personal and professional success and happiness. Self-esteem is the measure of how much an individual accepts and values themselves. It significantly impacts a person’s relationships with others and themselves, their expectations of life, achievements, and ability to manage challenges. High self-esteem, not to be confused with ego, is crucial for personal and professional success and happiness.
The development of self-esteem is primarily shaped during the early years of a child’s life. Although it can evolve with time, certain fundamental aspects tend to remain constant. The evaluation of oneself is impacted by past achievements or setbacks and the opinions of others, particularly those who hold significant importance in one’s life. During childhood, these significant individuals are typically the child’s family and parents, while teachers often play a crucial role later on. If these significant others perceive the child as competent and capable, it fosters a sense of proficiency, and conversely, if they do not, it can lead to feelings of inadequacy.
As parents, how can we enhance our child’s self-esteem? Here are a few simple suggestions.
- When communicating with a child, we make sure to lower ourselves to their eye level.
- We listen to them attentively and with patience whenever they want to speak. We show respect for their opinions and consider their recommendations if they are implementable.
- We make ourselves emotionally available to share their joys, sorrows, and worries.
- We encourage them to showcase their abilities and talents.
- Our communication with them is always calm and respectful, avoiding negativity, criticism, and comparison with other children.
- We focus on their positive qualities and potential, reminding them of it constantly.
- We recognize and value every positive behavior and achievement, no matter how small.
- We provide tangible examples of their successes to express our faith in their potential.
- We show them in every way possible how important and unique they are to us.