Zippypedia

02/06/2011

Self-esteem and self-confidence: wanted!

Just like adults, children also need to trust and like themselves. And that's achieved through love and parental guidance.

Your child will think of himself whatever you think of him. If you, for example, keep telling him he's "stupid", he'll grow up to think he really is stupid.

Parents should never underestimate their children, devalue their opinions, mock them when they're embarrassed or put little stock in their difficulties, fears and troubles. That won't help their self-confidence.

According to a number of studies, children who didn't learn to love and trust themselves became adults with low self-esteem and serious difficulties in both relating and adapting to society.

Children without self-confidence are shy and don't relate as well as they'd like with classmates and teachers. Most times they're intelligent children and excellent students, but they fear failure terribly and dread speaking in public. That can also come to pass if they were subject to too strict an education in which errors were not allowed. Over protection and childhood pressure may bring about some dissatisfaction.

Don't reprimand your child constantly if he doesn't excel in school, nor compare him to schoolmates who do better or children who are more outgoing, you'll run the risk of "hacking down" his self-esteem. Use a different strategy, give him appropriate tips and positive guidelines to triumph in life and become surer of himself. Most of all, don't forget that he very much needs to be complimented and loved, otherwise he'll demand your attention and play the victim. Think of the following: Isn't your child the most beautiful person you've ever laid your eyes upon? The most important person in the world? Then don't forget to let him know. Often parents don't remember how important it is to tell children: Do you know how beautiful you are? Do you have any idea how proud I am of having a child like you? Have you noticed how good-hearted you are? I've never seen eyes kinder than yours? And so many other things even adults like hearing...now imagine a child!