How To Boost Your Child's Self-Esteem
Every parent wants their child to feel confident. However, not every parent knows how to get them there. Self-esteem is tied to how capable and valuable your child feels, so a strong sense of self-confidence can prepare your child for life’s responsibilities such as school, work, and sports. If your child suffers from a lack of self-confidence or low self-esteem, it is likely that these emotions will be reflected in their daily life. There are many ways you can strengthen your child’s confidence and self-esteem in school and in life. You can start by implementing these eight ways to boost your child’s self-esteem in your everyday life.
Encourage your child’s natural talent and gifts.
Recognizing your child’s strengths helps to boost self-esteem by encouraging them to follow passions they’re naturally good at. One way to do this is by enrolling your child in activities that align with their strengths. For instance, if your child is musically gifted, enrol him or her in their school’s band, choir, or musical.
Focus on problem areas.
Along with encouraging areas where they’re naturally gifted, it’s important to celebrate improvement in areas they struggle with. In these subjects, compliment him or her on how hard they worked rather than on how well they performed. Praising effort rather than ability is a simple way to build their confidence. One way to work this into their schoolwork is by completing easier assignments first, followed by the more difficult areas of study. This will help build their self-esteem and make it easier to complete more difficult assignments.
Eliminate comparisons.
They say comparison is the thief of joy. In children, comparison can damage their self-esteem and, in turn, weaken their performance. Avoid comparing your child’s abilities to their peers. Instead, compare how they’re doing to their previous work. These small changes can help your child focus on their own work and improvement without comparing themselves to others.
Be a role model.
Your child looks up to you and learns much of their behaviour from your own. You can use this to your advantage by modelling acceptance of your own mistakes. Acceptance of mistakes can help improve one’s self-esteem. If you accept your mistakes and give yourself grace, your child will do the same. Modelling this behaviour will allow your child to know that it is acceptable to fail and create solutions to fix mistakes. You can start by talking to your child about areas that are difficult for you to overcome and often find challenging. Acknowledging your weaknesses lets your child know that it’s okay to have weaknesses themselves.
Promote independence.
Creating a sense of independence for your child may help them feel more confident in their ability to handle responsibilities and other challenges in their daily life. Provide your child with “big kid” jobs that they can accomplish, such as household chores, and give them the appropriate space and time to complete them. These tasks can help form independence and comfortability with responsibilities and, in turn, boost their self-esteem.
Provide tangible feedback.
You can help improve your child’s self-esteem by providing feedback that is clear and understandable rather than critical. If your child is facing a challenge, it is important to give feedback that will motivate them to overcome the obstacle rather than give up or feel bad about themselves. One way to do this is by offering your child a specific goal to work toward with reasonable steps on how to achieve that goal.
Reframe negative thinking.
It’s easy for a child to feel discouraged when faced with a challenge. Negative thinking can cause your child to think that their abilities are fixed and cannot be changed. Encourage your child to reframe their mindset in a way that allows them to believe their abilities can improve over time. Correct him or her when they make negative statements, and find ways to turn it into a positive mindset.
Give praise!
Of course, the easiest way to boost your child’s self-esteem is through praise. Be intentional about praising them for trying hard, not just succeeding. By acknowledging the effort your child puts into tackling challenges, you help them learn their capabilities.
Boosting your child’s self-esteem is entirely possible, and these eight tips are a great way to start making changes. Evidence shows us again and again that a healthy, happy, confident child is a child who overcomes challenges and enjoys the highest level of achievement. If you feel as though your child requires further help, it is necessary to reach out to a professional in order to help them feel supported and accepted. At The Veda Group, we have experienced wellness specialists who can quickly assist your child through any mental health or crisis scenario. For more ways to boost your child’s self-esteem and confidence, visit www.thevedagroup.com to learn more about our wellness, education, and special education needs services.