How to help children improve their self-esteem, in 7 key points
Childhood is a stage open to vulnerabilities, and it is necessary to assess self-esteem.
Childhood is a key stage of life in many aspects. Not only do we learn the basic workings of reality, but we also lay the foundations of what we know about ourselves. That is why it is so important to know how to help children to know how to help children to improve their self-esteem, to which this article is dedicated.This article is dedicated to this objective.
Helping children to have a good self-esteem.
When you are small and you have few resources to face the challenges that the world poses, the role of fathers, mothers, older siblings or guardians should not be limited to acting as a should not be limited to acting as a protective shield, i.e., to prevent something bad from coming into contact with the perception of the youngest.
This is so because it is impossible to protect completely, on the one hand, and because without the possibility of coping with certain setbacks in life, one reaches adulthood without the ability to manage emotionally (or even cognitively) complicated situations.
Consequently, children's lives should be a balance between protection and the possibility of learning as they go along to overcome difficulties. to overcome difficulties as they go along. But in this harmony, it is relatively easy for some experiences to undermine their self-esteem, since there will always be room for a situation to overwhelm them due to their relative vulnerability.
Therefore, it is good to monitor the development of their self-esteem, intervening when self-esteem is low. How to do the latter? Below you will find several basic recommendations, although all of them should be adapted to the specific context in which the child lives.
1. Help him find friendships with his interests.
In childhood, simply not fitting in with a group of peers because of hobbies, can mean being excluded and isolated.. But fortunately, as adults, we can help children find other children in their environment with whom they can get along and share interests.
2. Recognize their achievements
Lack of time does not have to be an obstacle to congratulate children for their achievements. After all, the whole stage of childhood is a constant learning process. is a constant learning process, so it will be easy toSo it's easy for such moments to occur, and many of them may even have a special meaning for the youngest in the house.
3. Don't label them
Having them assume a label that defines who they are is a mistake, since it encourages them not to set goals and objectives beyond the limited repertoire of roles and attitudes expected of them. That is why, from their point of view, everything they perceive themselves as failing at may be attributable to limitations related to their supposed essence..
4. Spend time together
Something that also serves to reinforce children's self-esteem is to make them see that they are important to us and that we care about their point of view, their opinions, their interests... If this is accompanied by the expression of affection, they will feel more supported.
5. Help them take care of themselves
Even in childhood, the effect of a healthy lifestyle has an impact on self-esteem. It is not a matter of fitting into the canons of what is considered aesthetically pleasing, but rather that being healthy makes us feel more supported.It is not about fitting into the canons of what is considered aesthetically pleasing, but rather that being healthy makes us feel more energetic and capable of facing the day to day.
Therefore, a healthy and balanced diet, an adequate level of hygiene and regular exercise are your allies.
6. Avoid comparisons
At such a young age, it is difficult to fully understand the nuances necessary to constructively assimilate a comparison with other people, especially if they are your age. It is therefore best to avoid comparisons. Among other things, because they can also end up functioning as a way of labeling and limiting their possibilities.
7. Encourage them to develop projects
Proposing projects and seeing their progress is an excellent way to improve self-esteem at any age, since they allow them to see what they are capable of. they allow them to see what they are capable of. That's why it's good for children to do this from an early age: not everything is based on working on school assignments.
(Updated at Apr 12 / 2024)