Self-esteem is how much people value their worth and how important they are in their world. With time, people can learn to improve how they view themselves. While developing positive self-esteem is crucial for everyone, it’s imperative to inculcate self-confidence and self-worth among children. When children have healthy self-esteem, they’re more likely to perform well in school and tend to achieve their individual goals.
But building children’s self-esteem is not an easy task. Children don’t have the emotional strength to deal with these complex feelings. So it can be hard for them to grasp the things they don’t completely understand. But addressing those topics can make children grow and even help them acquire the needed skills for nursery class admission.
According to the top school in Greater Noida, healthy self-esteem comes when children start recognizing their efforts, finding their strengths, and knowing that mistakes are learning opportunities. But before you start building healthy self-esteem in your children, you have to understand the true definition of it.
What is healthy self-esteem?
Healthy self-esteem means accepting your talents, and strengths as well as your flaws. It’s accepting the strengths and weaknesses and knowing that your worth is not dependent on any outside factors.
To lay a foundation of healthy self-esteem in your child, you have to teach them that even if they’re not the best at something, it does not make them less worthy. In the same manner, if they’re best at something, it does not make them better than others.
Sounds complicated? That’s why we have listed down some proven ways that can help you build positive self-esteem in children. These include:
Accept them.
You have to accept your children for who they are and not for what they can become. But that doesn’t mean you can’t point out their negative behaviour or performance. When you’re upset, make sure they know it’s their behaviour that is unacceptable and not them as a person. Help them see their failure as an attempt that has failed, so they can pick themselves up and try again.
Instil decision making from a young age
Decision making helps build character in children and make them aware of their actions. That’s why pre nursery schools in Greater Noida start teaching these practices from a young age. You can begin by letting them choose what they would like to eat for breakfast. It makes them understand the gravitas of their choices and in turn, will teach them to trust themselves and their choices.
Make them self-independent
When parents do everything for their child, they end up spoiling their child. While it’s your instinct to step in and do things for your kids, you have to make them independent and self-reliant. Therefore, it’s crucial to let them try doing things on their own. You can start by letting your children wear their shoes, dressing up and eating on their own. The more they learn to do on their own, the more confidence they will feel about themselves.
Watch your praises.
While constructive criticism has its benefits, praises can do wonders in building self-esteem in children. Therefore, appreciate your children’s efforts not only for their success but also for their effort. Teach them that it’s not necessary to win but to try. While appreciation is a huge confidence booster, make sure you don’t give insincere praise or baseless compliments. Be specific and sincere in your compliments, so your words don’t sound shallow.
Keep your connection healthy.
Last but not least, you should build a strong connection with your child by spending some quality time together. Try to give them your undivided attention and make an effort to know about their day and interests. A solid bond helps the child feel loved, important, valued and deserving, which is essential in building healthy self-esteem. Whether it’s for playing together, going to eat or taking a bike ride, take some time out and spend it with your child. It will also be a great opportunity to cement the bond the two of you share.