Raising children who feel good about themselves is a parent’s top priority. Healthy children, both emotionally and physically, lead to healthy adults. The roots of positive self-esteem start in childhood.
This month, we’ll be exploring self-esteem and its relationship with body image. We thought a great place to start this discussion is in understanding just what self-esteem is and what it isn’t.
What is self-esteem?
According to parenting experts, positive self-esteem means having positive feelings about yourself and your self worth. It’s rooted in an honest and realistic view of not just what you look like but who you are, as a person.
What it isn’t is a false sense of self or an ego-centric view of yourself based on an overinflated need to puff a person up.
Parents can encourage positive self-esteem by focusing on a child’s good qualities. To help nurture high-self esteem, the National Network for Child Care suggests parents:
- Praise each child’s successes (even very small ones). Praise each child who tries hard.
- Give sincere affection. Let children know that they are loved and wanted.
- Show interest in each child’s activities, projects, or problems
Read more about what self esteem is and why it’s important here.
How do you build your child’s self esteem? Click on the comment box below.
