Self-esteem is a realistic respect for or a favorable impression of oneself.
It’s very important for a child to feel good about themselves. Statistics show that children with low self-esteem tend to perform below their potential in school and make poor decisions in social situations.
As parents and educators, there are things we can do daily to help lift a child’s self-esteem.
These simple games and activities will help promote healthy self-esteem and character development in children and teens.
Make a difference!
Many things can be done to help improve a child’s self-esteem:
Be Attentive-When your child speaks to you, give them eye contact and listen to make them feel what they say is important to you.
Make a child feel special-Praise children when they do a good job and also for trying hard. Tell children you are proud of them when they put a lot of effort into something. Give compliments and tell them that they are special.
See the learning in mistakes– When a child makes a mistake, turn the negative into a positive. Focus on what he/she learned from the mistake.
Be a positive role model- If you are constantly hard on yourself, putting yourself down, or pessimistic, your children will see that and may eventually copy those feelings. This may lead them to feel that way about themselves.
Tune in to their feelings- Sometimes, this can be hard, especially when a child has done something wrong and you get angry. Instead, you yelling, ask the child what they did and if they feel what they did was wrong. If they think they are wrong, ask them what they will do next time. If they feel they were not wrong, have them explain why they feel they weren’t wrong.
Here are some kid-approved self-esteem activities:
These self-esteem and character-building activities can be done at home, in a classroom, after-school program, or in any recreational program that focuses on character development.
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