Chapters
- 01. Why Do Children Struggle with Self-Esteem?
- 02. Why Self-Esteem is Important for Kids
- 03. The Top Six Tips that are Sure to Help Boost the Confidence of Children
- 04. Avoid Negative Statements
- 05. Praise Your Child When Merited
- 06. Help Them to Develop a Realistic Worldview
- 07. Listen to the Concerns of Your Kids
- 08. Step Back and Let Your Children Take Risks
- 09. Reward Achievements and Good Behaviour
"The only opinion that matters in life, is your own opinion about yourself." -Osho
In a world with so many pressures to look thin, be popular, and be the best at what you do, children, teenagers, and even adults, struggle to figure out their place and be content with what they have accomplished.
Thankfully, as exterior anxieties rise, so do the number of conversations had about mental health. In most cultures, it is now becoming commonplace to discuss personal issues had with mental health openly. Therefore, we shouldn't be embarrassed anymore to ask for help. We must remember that a healthy mind will positively direct us towards thinking good things about ourselves, which is crucial.
However, though mental health issues are less taboo than they used to be, some parents struggle to bring them up to their children and have difficulties providing advice that can quickly help children boost their self-esteem.
So, without further delay, in today's article, since children's mental health continues to make headlines, we'll focus on six suggestions that mothers and fathers can implement to aid their son or daughter to develop more self-confidence and a positive view of themselves.
Why Do Children Struggle with Self-Esteem?
Before we get started in our discussion of suggestions for parents to help their children become more confident, it's critical to examine why children in the 21st century have more amplified self-esteem issues than previous generations.
As cases continue to rise, mental health experts have further investigated to uncover statistics as to why kids and teens have difficulties with self-confidence, and the following list features some of their findings and most common reasons:
- Target-led Academic Curriculum: a lot of the stress that children deal with is associated with the demanding and target-led academic curriculum designed and structured by the government through the minister of education. Testing has become the only way educators develop an idea of how their students are doing, yet frequent testing can be stressful for youngsters and lead to low self-esteem if they score less high than their peers.
- Family Support: if love is one of the most significant contributors to solid self-esteem, it can be said that a lack of love is the most considerable detractor and, sadly, many kids nowadays lack necessary love from their nurturing figures. So, negative feedback and harsh words from mean parents can cause kids to have low self-esteem.
- Social Media: one of the most extreme reasons kids suffer from a lack of self-esteem these days is social media and its false advertising. Children who have access to social media compare themselves to influencers and stars who appear to be perfect, and this causes them to become unsatisfied with how they look and feel.
Now that we've looked at some of the reasons children in 2021 have low self-esteem let's focus on the following subheading that discusses why self-confidence is critical for children.
Why Self-Esteem is Important for Kids
Self-esteem is necessary for children, teenagers, and adults. Therefore, during a child's formative years, parents need to do all they can to enhance the self-confidence of their son or daughter.
A child with self-esteem and who is confident is more likely to succeed at school and while engaged in all types of activities. They will feel that, albeit they might fail at first, the result of trying something new and exciting is worth any potential mistakes along the way.
Kids with self-esteem are more likely to dive into new projects and develop goals for themselves. On the other hand, children with a lack of self-esteem will most likely stay in the same place and be afraid to try new things.
So, the answer is quite clear: self-esteem is essential for kids since it will motivate them to try new things and be more involved with life's adventures.
The Top Six Tips that are Sure to Help Boost the Confidence of Children
Raising children is an impressive feat, and the term "parent" should be viewed in equal esteem to some of the world's most prestigious titles, such as CEO or King. Parents' hard work to provide, tend, and love their kids is a full-time job that never stops.
Although challenging at times, parents view their jobs as mothers and fathers as rewarding and something they would never regret in a million years. However, when specific difficulties arise that parents are ill-equipped for, they may deal with feelings of incompetence knowing that they aren't giving their child their best.
So, to equip parents with the necessary advice about handling children who are dealing with low esteem, we shall take a glance at six helpful tips that are bound to aid parents in boosting their son or daughter's confidence.
Avoid Negative Statements
Most people know that positive reinforcement is always more effective than negative comments. Therefore, to avoid making your child feel discouraged and prone to developing low self-esteem, parents should be wary of making strong statements filled with negative words.
Stay away from the following statements when training your child:
- 'That's wrong',
- 'Why don't you get it?'.
- 'You're useless',
- 'I'm disappointed in you.'
All of the previously mentioned sentences are debilitating and hurt your child more than you'll ever realise. But does this mean that you should never correct your kids when they make a wrong statement? Not! There is a way of changing the language to make it sound more positive.
For example, instead of saying, 'that's wrong, you could say, 'That might not work because...why don't we try things differently?' By slightly modifying your language, even when wrong and in need of correction, your child can keep their self-esteem strong.
Praise Your Child When Merited
Praise and compliments are essential for children throughout their formative years. However, parents must beware that they do not over-praise and provide empty compliments to their children since their son or daughter will be ready through phoney praise.
Therefore, to increase a child's self-esteem and, at the same time helping them avoid an overamplified view of themselves, parents should offer praise only when it is indeed merited. Such as? When your child has gone above and beyond and pushed themselves to achieve something they are proud of.
Too much praise for every little thing can weaken self-esteem for a child later on in life since they will realise that not everything they do will be perfect.
Help Them to Develop a Realistic Worldview
One way or another, children will slowly realise that life is not always easy, and there will be some challenging moments along the way. However, if you teach your son or daughter from a young age to recognise that not everyone is perfect, that they will be disappointed once and while, and that you have to work hard to get what you want, they will be more equipped to handle difficulties later on.
Letting your child know that life isn't always filled with rainbows and candy all time is by no means terrible parenting. On the contrary, by working hard to deal with the more complicated stuff from a young age, your son or daughter will develop a more realistic worldview.
However, be careful not to only talk about dangers, fears, and negative experiences. Instead, mention more about the positive things such as people's good qualities and the possibilities available for your child. Be balanced, and we are confident that you will raise an intelligent human that is confident and has a pragmatic approach to life.
Listen to the Concerns of Your Kids
While it is essential not to view your children as solely friends, they must have a friendly relationship with their emotional support figure. Parents need to provide a safe space for their kids where they feel 100% comfortable talking about the trials and problems they are facing in their lives.
When your son or daughter expresses a concern or a problem they are going through, don't be too quick to offer a solution; listen! By listening and reassuring your child, they will feel that they have loving support from their nurturing figures, either mother or father, leading to confidence and strong self-esteem.
Let them know that your love is unconditional, no matter what happens, and that they can always talk to you about anything, no matter how awkward the situation may be. A stable and positive support system brings up grounded children and makes them balanced adults.
Step Back and Let Your Children Take Risks
Instead of indulging your child and preventing them from ever making mistakes, thinking that that will affect their self-esteem, sit back and let your son or daughter take risks. By letting your kids take healthy risks and encouraging them to make their own decisions, they will develop skills such as self-confidence and become more goal-oriented.
Even if they fail and things don't pan out when they take a risk, it's important to state that they tried something new, and the learning experience will always stay with them.
Reward Achievements and Good Behaviour
While this subheading may be in line with some of the previously mentioned ones, to help children develop positive feelings for themselves, parents must establish a reward system that recompenses good behaviour and fantastic achievements.
After hours of studying and hard work, if your child passes a challenging exam, they merit a prize. By doing this, kids recognise that when they exert themselves and succeed, their parents will reward them, which helps them have positive memories and build self-esteem.
In conclusion, all of the previously mentioned six tips are fantastic since they work. However, if you are still looking for helpful advice, consider the Family Lives or Childline website with lots of information for youngsters and their parents. May you navigate parenthood successfully!
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