5 Reasons Why it is Important to Boost your Child’s Self-Esteem

Parent with child by CDC from Unsplash

5 Reasons Why it is Important to Boost your Child’s Self-Esteem

In recent years the talk about creating a healthy mindset and boosting self-esteem has been around. Having good self-esteem is not about what people think about you but mainly about how you feel about yourself. So, why is it essential to boost your child’s self-esteem when especially at times you don’t even understand it yourself?

What is self-esteem?

Our perception of who we are and our value is what we call self-esteem. It’s how we see ourselves as valuable individuals, especially in light of our work and accomplishments, our life’s purpose, our relationships with others, and our independence. Being content with our appearance and our feelings equates to having a healthy sense of self-worth. It entails being proud of who we are, our skills, and our ideas.

Building self-esteem in children and teenagers is a lifelong process that begins at a young age. We may not always get it right as parents, but as long as we consistently remember to provide praise, listen, and set limits in a positive way, we can support children and young people in achieving healthy levels of self-esteem.

So, what does healthy esteem look like?

Kids with high self-esteem will generally have the confidence to handle new things in life as they feel deserving, loved and adequately supported. You’ll find that children who have high self-esteem are proud of their achievements and don’t shy away from acknowledging when they are doing well or when they aren’t.

They understand that their worth should not be measured by how they look but by how they carry themselves and how they treat people. Children who have a positive view of themselves are able to make friends easily and play on their own and in groups. 

Why is it important to boost their self-esteem?

They are confident in themselves and able to handle situations that don’t go as planned. Our children can better manage stress, emotions of anxiety and uncertainty by developing resilience, which is the capacity to respond successfully to adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or even substantial causes of stress. 

As a result of their confidence in who they are, they are able to deal with situations that don’t go according to plan. Building resilience—the capacity to respond effectively to adversity, trauma, tragedy, danger, or even large sources of stress—can help our kids manage stress and emotions of fear and dread. 

Here are the benefits you need to know.

1. They learn to be authentic

Father and son by Sebastián León Prado from Unsplash

Kids have to be taught that their authentic self is enough and that they don’t have to put on an act for the sake of other people. They should understand that pretending to be something they are not is not only tiresome but can land them in trouble with people for having a split personality while pretending to be someone they are not.

A person who has a high sense of self-worth is confident in who they are and understands that they don’t have to alter who they are to fit in. They actually don’t care much about societal expectations or norms; they are content with just being themselves. (Note that this does not imply that they disregard societal norms.)

Parent tip 1: how do you teach your child to accept themselves?

Avoid attempting to turn your journey into your child’s path. Be there to comfort them and give them room to fail safely. When failures occur, ask the person what they can take away from the situation. Give them time to answer, and then reassure them that they are headed in the right way and that there isn’t just “one proper direction” to travel in.

PARENT TIP 2: ENCOURAGE HIM/HER TO EVALUATE THEMSELVES

Ask your child about their favourite aspect of themselves. Once they’ve replied, tell them what you appreciate about them. Consider their effort and character rather than their talents or ability.

2. They learn their value 

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When your child understands their value they realize that they are a worthy member of society and that they shouldn’t accept anything less than what they deserve. Teaching your children that they are respected and that they deserve a great life starts with how you treat them and how you treat yourself as well.

Reminding your children that their failures do not define who they are is a great start, let them know that they deserve all the great things in life and that their own path will never be the same as anyone else. Let them know that only they define what success is and your responsibility thereafter is to guide them by allowing them to set targets and goals for themselves as well. 

PARENT TIP 1: Create meaningful traditions

This is about spending quality time with each other and making lasting memories, so there is no need to build anything complex. Make pancakes for the family every Sunday by getting in the kitchen with your young one. Make a date once a month when you treat your child to a favourite dessert and an hour on the playground. Invite your kid to join you during your regularly scheduled salon visit, and remain for mani-pedis afterwards. Building that special parent-child bond can be accomplished in large part through such straightforward customs.

parent tip 2:When chatting with your child, make sure to look them in the eye

I  can divert my attention to dinner, the internet, and tidying up messes when my kids need my attention. In order to establish a personal connection and demonstrate that we are paying attention to what they are saying, it is advised that during job interviews, we look the other person in the eye. Involvements with our children are no different. I need to make a conscious effort to work on this habit every single day. This little thing reminds our kids that they are worthy and deserve every bit of time that we give them, so they’ll expect the same from people around them and will also treat people with the same respect. 

3. They learn to communicate 

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Children’s proficiency with communication is a major contributor to their attitudes toward learning and sense of self. The sooner kids can master effective communication, the more equipped they’ll be for both school and home life in general. Children with strong communication skills have higher self-esteem because they can speak with others, set limits, and feel proud of who they are.

Parent tip 1: Encourage them to use their new vocabulary

In order to help kids gain confidence, our second piece of advice is to have them use their newly acquired vocabulary. Instead of stressing about pronunciation, make them feel at ease trying.

Recognize their efforts when they correctly utilize a new term so they will be proud and confident to speak up the next time. Strong verbal communication skills are essential, therefore children must apply the words they learn rather than just retain them in their heads.

Parent Tip 2: Help them learn more vocabulary

Children with diverse vocabularies have the means to express their thoughts and emotions. Therefore, when speaking to children, don’t be scared to use complex or technical phrases. They can learn what they imply and how to apply them in this manner. To expand their vocabulary, use rhymes and word games. Making it enjoyable will ultimately increase interest in and excitement about language.

4. They are able to form healthy relationships 

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Teach your kids that a great benefit of being themselves is that they’ll be able to keep good relationships and they won’t be termed as fake. When children understand who they are and the value they bring then they will be able to connect with others on a deeper level. It is in these relationships that they will be able to build trust which they’ll learn is a fundamental part of any long-lasting relationship.

The risk that kids will stay in harmful or abusive relationships later can be reduced if they are educated about healthy relationships at a young age.

PARENT TIP 1:Give instances of healthy relationships and describe what they look like

There are many ways to talk about this, but a good place to start is by pointing out that the foundation of any healthy relationship is trust, honesty, respect, open communication, and mutual understanding. Both partners will be able to maintain their unique identities while being in a committed relationship if their partnership is healthy. It is crucial to define each of these components and provide instances of how they appear.

PARENT TIP 2:Help them define boundaries

Every child needs to establish personal limits. In a partnership, boundaries prevent physical and sexual abuse. Additionally, they enable mutual understanding of each other’s values and what is and is not acceptable in their relationships. Identify and explain your child’s personal values and boundaries together. Review how romantic relationships are affected by family values.

5. They are willing to help others

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Have you ever observed that those with great self-esteem and a strong sense of self-awareness are frequently the first to volunteer to assist others? They are the committee members, volunteers, and other people who are prepared to give of themselves in order to benefit others. Let’s face it, you aren’t likely to believe that anyone would respect your assistance if you feel unworthy (poor self-esteem).

This is why when your child has high self-esteem they are more likely to carry around a bout of positivity that they want to share with their friends and loved ones.

Parent tip 1: Let them guide the giving

In addition to making us feel good, helping others can be enjoyable. Choose an activity that interests your child and support it. Do they intend to organize a hot chocolate booth and donate the proceeds? Another possibility is that your youngster is a maker and would love to provide crayons and colouring books to children in hospitals. Giving can be more personalized by drawing on their interests.

Parent tip 2:let them see you help

Our children genuinely aspire to be like us. So, one of the finest ways to teach children to help others is to practice generosity in front of and alongside them. Show children how eager you are to be nice this season, to give back, to look for opportunities to donate or volunteer, and to do these things for others.

Finally and in conclusion children who feel good about themselves are capable and confident. They cherish who they are and what they can do. They want to put their best effort forward because they are proud of what they can do.

Children are more likely to have a growing attitude when they are comfortable with who they are and feel confident in themselves. Thus, they are capable of inspiring themselves to take on new tasks, manage difficulties, and grow from failure. They are additionally more inclined to speak up for themselves and seek assistance when they do.