How to Boost Your Child’s Self-Esteem

By Towanna B. Freeman
Appreciating even a small accomplishment makes a child confident
about his or her strengths.

Your child’s formative years arrive when they begin to understand the world around them.

These years shape their personalities and leave an indelible impression on their future lives. As a parent, therefore, you must take an active interest in your child’s life to boost his/her self-esteem.

What is Self-Esteem and Why You Should Be Concerned

Self-esteem is a shield that prevents a person from undervaluing himself. It helps develop an attitude to make decisions independently, address problems, and stay happy. Maintaining healthy self-esteem is important in every phase of life. As a parent, you should focus on instilling a healthy level of self-esteem in your child to make him or her more confident and independent.

According to psychologists and child-behavior experts, kids with high self-esteem deal with challenging situations more confidently. Unlike kids who have low self-esteem, these youngsters know their strengths and weaknesses, and how to handle problems independently. Experts, therefore, urge parents to boost their children’s self-esteem from an early age.

The first thing that you should practice is sharing positive feedback with your children to boost their confidence. To do this, you must appreciate their efforts and encourage them to do better. Positive feedback gives them the confidence to explore and leverage their strengths.

Spending adequate time with your child is also essential to identify his or her talents and interests. If a child enjoys a particular sport, you should arrange opportunities to participate in sporting events where he or she can excel.

Parents (while feeling elated for their kids) often forget to celebrate their achievements. Appreciating even a small accomplishment makes a child confident about his or her strengths. Take your child out for a treat—a favorite activity, a movie, or even a pizza or ice cream—to celebrate an important triumph.

Martha Dawson, Holistic Life Coach and mother of three, says, “Creating an environment which nurtures and supports the development of a child’s healthy self-esteem is an invaluable gift. It’s also important to tune into your child’s natural gifts and abilities as well as exposing your child to a wide range of opportunities. By doing so, parents set the stage for likely successes as your child discovers their strengths. The more successes your child experiences, the better their self-esteem will be.”

Children with supportive parents excel in anything they do. As a responsible and caring parent, you should strive to instill positivity and confidence in your child’s life for a better future.

 


Towanna B. Freeman is the creator of BlackLifeCoaches.net. She is also a mother of two children, a community mentor, inspirational speaker, and author of Purposeful Action, 7 Steps to Fulfillment.