Mar 07 2008
Building Self Esteem in Children and Molding Your Child’s Mental Health
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” this is especially true and applicable in building self esteem in children. Every child needs love and appreciation. They thrive on positive attention and it is important to use encouraging words to them while building self esteem in children. A good parent-child relationship and communication is the key in building self esteem in children and can help them live a better life in the future knowing that they were molded to become better individuals.
Building self esteem in children, when done properly, can be a marker for a great mental health for the children. However, when they reach the adolescent stage of their lives, it is important to realize that having self-doubt is normal, but poor self-esteem should not be overlooked.
Parents play an important role in building self esteem in children. Fortunately, there are several things that you can do, as a parent, in building self esteem in children and these include: acting independently, assuming responsibility, tolerating frustration, handling peer pressure appropriately, offering assistance to others, handling positive and negative emotions, attempting new challenges and tasks, and taking pride in the children’s accomplishments.
Additional Methods of Building Self Esteem in Children
Aside from the mentioned ways of building self esteem in children, there are several additional methods that can help you in molding their mental health and preparing them for the future.
It is important that you must develop the habit of looking for certain situations wherein your child is doing good work, displaying talents, or showing character traits that are positive. This can help you provide generosity with praise.
Teaching positive self-statements is also important. You must be able to redirect your child’s inaccurate or negative beliefs about himself or herself and teach him or her how to think in a positive manner. Additionally, blaming and providing negative judgments can lead to emotional distress. Thus, it is critical to avoid criticisms that can take the form of ridicule or shame in order to provide the proper way of building self esteem in children.
Decision making and recognizing when your child has done or made a good decision is vital in building self esteem in children. It is advisable to let your child own his or her problem. Solving the problem by his or herself can help him or her build confidence. Try not to solve their problems for them because doing so would only cause your child to be dependent. Additionally, take the time to answer your child’s question and help him or her think of alternatives.
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