Children Self Esteem
Building Self Esteem in Children
Children self esteem develops early in life. Building self esteem in children starts at birth, and childhood experiences play a large part in developing self esteem. And, in addition, even though parents and teachers may think they are being supportive of a child, it’s the child’s perception that contributes to his self-esteem. In other words, if a child simply thinks a parent is being critical, he will feel bad about himself and will have low self esteem.
Learn about Think Right Now program for building self-esteem in children...
Having a poor self image doesn’t mean that a child is worthless. And it does NOT mean that parents have failed. It just means that the child believes that he is not important.
Children are born with high self esteem.
Parents play a large part in building self esteem.
The Attachment Theory
Self Esteem in Children
An English physician, John Bowlby, created what we call the attachment theory. The attachment theory suggests that parents and care-givers are important for self esteem building in a child.When a parent is close both emotionally and physically, a child is able to explore his world, feeling safe. If the child becomes frightened, hurt, tired or sick, the parent is there to help him. This feeling of safeness and acceptance helps in building self esteem in children. As children mature, and parents continue to support them, self esteem in children develops. Children form opinions of what others think of them. Just like adults, self esteem for children is based largely on what the children believe others think of them.
Self Esteem Children
and Caregiver Relationships
There are 3 main types of parent or care-giver relationships that have been identified for developing children self esteem. They are Secure, Avoidant and Ambivalent.- Secure relationships - High self esteem children. Parents who are warm, sensitive and attentive to their children bring up children with a good self esteem. Children whose parents/care-giver were sensitive and positive to their needs were found to have a higher self esteem, were more confident and self-directed.
- Avoidant relationships - Parents who are constantly annoyed, brusque, cold and insensitive. Children whose parents/care-givers who are cold and negative had difficulty developing peer friendships, had low self-esteem and were troublesome and put themselves down.
- Ambivalent relationships - A parent/care-giver who is positive, but inconsistent in their responses can also damage a child’s self esteem.
Tips for Developing
Self-Esteem in Children
Here are some tips for building self esteem in children. These simple self esteem building techniques will help you support a high self esteem in your child:- Love and care about your child – this gives them a sense of belong, security and support.
- Spend time with your child - Children learn by example. Play games, read, talk, teach your child about his world.
- Clear discipline - Gently reinforce the limits. Praise the good things your child does.
- Respect your child - Teach your child respect by respecting them. Children learn by watching. Apologize when you are wrong, and use manners such as please and thank you.
- Active Listening - Listen with your eyes and your ears when you child speaks. Giving her your attention tells her that she is important and helps to build self esteem.
- Be realistic - We’re all human and make mistakes. Don’t expect perfection from your child. This puts a lot of pressure on him.
- Decision making - Help your child make her own decisions by showing her the pros and cons. Don’t make speeches or force your opinion on your child.
Building self esteem in children is an ongoing process. However, it’s really quite easy. When a child feels that he is OK, he feels safe and comfortable when exploring his world. And as he learns about his world, he is building self confidence and improving self esteem. That’s all there is to developing self esteem in children! Children self esteem is developed by everyday experiences and just feeling loved and safe. If your child suffers from low self esteem, the
Think Right Now self esteem program for children
, ages 9-13 might be just what you need to help your child boost his self esteem.
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Photo courtesy of chimothy27
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