A child with high self esteem will be able to act without help,
assume responsibility, take pride in his accomplishments, abide
frustration, attempt new tasks, endeavors and challenges, handle their
positive as well as negative emotions, and will offer to help others who
are less capable.
Conversely, a child experiencing low self-esteem will attempt to avoid trying new activities, feels unloved and unwanted, puts the blame others for his own shortcomings, feels or pretends to feel emotionally indifferent, is unable to tolerate a normal level of frustration, puts himself down, and is easily influenced by others.
The self-esteem of peer-oriented children will, more often than not, be dependent on the way others perceive them. A positive self-esteem means that children and teens consider themselves to be valuable even when they are being judged poorly by others.
How to Build Your Child's Self Esteem
Tell your child that he is important to you, that you love him. Communicate your feelings to your child so he doesn't have to guess. Listen non-judgmentally Do special things for your child.
A child doesn't know when you are feeling good about him. He needs to hear you tell him that you like having him in the family. Children remember positive statements we say to them. In fact, they store them up and "replay" your comments to themselves. Practice giving your child encouraging words throughout each day. Try using what is commonly referred to as "descriptive praise" to let your child know when they are doing something correctly or doing it well.
You must of course become in the habit of looking for situations where your child is excelling, doing a good job or perhaps displaying a talent. For instance, "You are a very kind boy (or girl) " Or, "I really like the way you see things through even when it seems difficult to do." You can even praise a child for something he did not do such as "I really appreciated how you accepted my answer of 'no' and did not get angry or lose your temper ".
Teach your child to practice making positive self-statements. Psychologists have found that negative self-talk is a cause of depression and anxiety. Therefore, it is important to teach your children to be positive about what they say in their heads to themselves.
Some examples of useful self-talk are: "I can get this problem, if I just keep trying", "It's OK if our team lost today. We all tried our best and you can't win them all", "It makes me feel good to help others even if the person doesn't notice or thank me".
This is good practice for your child. He can eventually become an expert at this and it will serve as protective amour during their turbulent teenage years.
Conversely, a child experiencing low self-esteem will attempt to avoid trying new activities, feels unloved and unwanted, puts the blame others for his own shortcomings, feels or pretends to feel emotionally indifferent, is unable to tolerate a normal level of frustration, puts himself down, and is easily influenced by others.
The self-esteem of peer-oriented children will, more often than not, be dependent on the way others perceive them. A positive self-esteem means that children and teens consider themselves to be valuable even when they are being judged poorly by others.
How to Build Your Child's Self Esteem
Tell your child that he is important to you, that you love him. Communicate your feelings to your child so he doesn't have to guess. Listen non-judgmentally Do special things for your child.
A child doesn't know when you are feeling good about him. He needs to hear you tell him that you like having him in the family. Children remember positive statements we say to them. In fact, they store them up and "replay" your comments to themselves. Practice giving your child encouraging words throughout each day. Try using what is commonly referred to as "descriptive praise" to let your child know when they are doing something correctly or doing it well.
You must of course become in the habit of looking for situations where your child is excelling, doing a good job or perhaps displaying a talent. For instance, "You are a very kind boy (or girl) " Or, "I really like the way you see things through even when it seems difficult to do." You can even praise a child for something he did not do such as "I really appreciated how you accepted my answer of 'no' and did not get angry or lose your temper ".
Teach your child to practice making positive self-statements. Psychologists have found that negative self-talk is a cause of depression and anxiety. Therefore, it is important to teach your children to be positive about what they say in their heads to themselves.
Some examples of useful self-talk are: "I can get this problem, if I just keep trying", "It's OK if our team lost today. We all tried our best and you can't win them all", "It makes me feel good to help others even if the person doesn't notice or thank me".
This is good practice for your child. He can eventually become an expert at this and it will serve as protective amour during their turbulent teenage years.
To learn much more about what you can do to help promote healthy
self esteem in your child, visit [http://www.MyShyChild.com] where
you'll find more information about how you can help your child feel more
self-confident.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=April_R_Butler
