The importance of self-esteem in your child

As adults we may have gone through enough challenges in life to understand what self-esteem is all about. Do we give it the same amount of importance where our children are concerned? Not all parents realize the impact our outlook and reactions have on our children. Having a healthy self-esteem is very important as children undergo so many challenges not only in school but among peer groups also. Some of the things we can do at home in order to improve self-esteem for kids are:

• Encourage and support

This is especially important in situations where children have failed or not done well in something. If we do not teach them how to have a positive outlook and have confidence in themselves, it may result in low self-esteem.

• Avoid negative language

Both in speech and body language, the best approach is to use positive terminology and avoid negative language when there is a need to rebuke the child. Terms such as “stupid” or “dumb” have a very strong impact, and they are very difficult for young children to recover from.

• Communicate with your child

To head off self-esteem issues, it is important to have a healthy channel of communication with your child. In this way, you will always know when the child may be having trouble, whether with peers or anything else in school. By discussing with your child about how to increase self-esteem, they will learn how not to let small failures get in their way.

• Teaching respect

Teaching children respect for others is one of the best ways to teach them to respect themselves. Creating a family environment where everyone respects each other will help to bring children and self-esteem together.

Once children develop a sense of self-esteem, their confidence in facing different challenges will definitely increase. Parents need not worry as much about aspects like negative peer pressure or exam stress, as the self-esteem forms an umbrella for your child.

One great way to build a sense of confidence in your child is to introduce them to Abacus and Mental Math classes at Aloha USA. For more details please see: http://www.aloha-usa.com