Angela French

Here are some tips:

Help your child learn new things! When your child was an infant, you helped them to learn new things often, such as holding a bottle, walking, and more. You should continue to help your child learn new things the entire time they live in your house. When they have skills, they feel confident, and that helps build their self-esteem!

Praise your child sparingly! Giving your child praise is something you should do daily, but praise sparingly. If your child thinks that they are awesome at everything because you have drilled that in their head, you have done them no favors. Encouragement is a good goal to have. Example, when your child draws a picture, say things more specific like, “I like that picture! The leaves on the tree are great colors!”. Do not say things like, “That is the best picture I have ever seen! You are the best artist in the world!”. By being selective and specific you can praise and encourage your child without making them think they are the best at everything. You do not want them disappointed when they are out in the real world and realize that they have plenty of things to work on to be better at.

Help your child focus on their strengths! Your child is not going to be good at everything, not even close! There are plenty that they will be good at, and that is a good place to start to focus. As their self-esteem builds, start conquering things that need improvement! Take a little time to work on things and practice! Practicing encourages learning, and the more they learn or the better they become, their self-esteem should grow. Focus on their strengths and they will as well.

Teach them to help themselves! Most parents tend to baby children and tend to help them with everything, even tasks that can easily be completed independently. Let your child help themselves or learn to help themselves. Even the simple task of taking dishes into the kitchen is a great way to build their self-esteem and to teach your child responsibility. When they help themselves, they grow, learn more, and in turn, build self-esteem.

Though it is difficult to see our babies grow, it is our job to prepare them for the world! When a child has a good self-esteem or sense of self, they will be more resilient when challenges face them. If you have helped them grow and have taught them to see the value in themselves, they will be happier, more well-adjusted teens and adults.