Sometimes, it’s easy to notice when children aren’t feeling so good about themselves. As parents, it can seem impossible to correct. You may feel helpless and sad that your child feels this way. Even if you are doing everything right at home, a child can still develop self-esteem issues.
It isn’t your fault, maybe your child is more sensitive than others or they were bullied at school. No matter where the issue is coming from, there are some things you can do to help them develop more confidence and conquer the world! Follow along in today’s article for ways to help boost your child’s self-esteem.
Why self-esteem matters
If kids feel good about themselves, they are more likely to try new things or interact with new people. If they have good self- esteem they feel proud of what they can do and cope with any mistakes or failures they experience.
On the other hand, if they have poor self-esteem they could feel discouraged and unsure of themselves. Maybe, they feel they don’t belong and think that others won’t accept them. Kids with lower self-esteem may have difficulties if they fail or make a mistake and as a result don’t perform as well as they could.
Obviously, you want your child to shine and grow up to be their authentic selves. Children are meant to be playful and obtain enough social interaction with other children. Self- esteem can start very early, when your child is a baby. If a child feels safe, protected, and loved by their family this is where their self-esteem begins. As babies become toddlers and start to complete tasks themselves, their self-esteem grows. Parents and loved ones can help support this journey throughout their young lives.
New activities help
As kids grow, their self-esteem can grow too! The good news is, your child has time to make progress and experience new activities that will help them gain more confidence. Ways children can increase their self-esteem include:
- Make new friends at school
- Progress towards a goal
- Get praise for good behavior
- Included by others
- Learn new skills such as music, sports, or cooking
- Learn something new at school
- Earn a good grade
- Do something they enjoy or they’re good at
- Help someone
- Spread kindness
- Try hard at something
Helping them get involved in some of these activities could help them progress. Try becoming involved in their daily life to figure out their likes and dislikes. From there, you can sign them up for soccer, dance, or cooking class– if that’s something they enjoy.
Don’t overpraise
Many parents make the mistake of over-praising their children even when they didn’t necessarily succeed. Although, this may seem like a great idea for increasing their self-confidence, it doesn’t come from a genuine place. Instead of focusing on praising just their performance like when they receive an A or score a goal– try praising their efforts. For example, if they are working hard to get better at spelling but haven’t gotten it down yet you can offer praise by saying , “ You’re getting better and better at your spelling tests each time.” Or if you’re wondering how to stop thumb sucking try saying “ I’m proud of you because I can tell you’re working hard to stop.”
As you can see, in both these instances you are not telling them they are so good at spelling or they stopped their bad habit– instead you’re offering praise for their effort and tenacity towards a goal.
Be a good role model
When you put effort into tasks that are important to you like cleaning the backyard, gardening, or practicing yoga– you will serve as a good role model for your kids. Modeling the right attitude is also ideal too. While you’re doing things you don’t want to do, try not to complain or get frustrated. Instead, prove that you can maintain your composure and positive attitude even when you don’t want to do something. Be cheerful as you are cleaning the kitchen, and your child will not associate it with a negative task.
Let kids help and give
Remember that self-esteem is also built off of what a child feels they can do for others. You can have kids help at home, do a favor for their sibling, or help a friend. This is a win-win situation for your child and others!
