Ten Steps to Boosting Your Child's Self Esteem

How children really feel about themselves and their abilities is not always as positive as we'd like it to be. It's sad that any child would feel not good enough or not like themselves. However, it is true that many do feel this way. How does your child feel about themselves? Do you know? Many times we don't know until we ask. Here are ten tips on making sure that your child feels good about who they are and all they can do!

1. The first to boosting your child's self esteem is to make sure that they know that you love them always, no matter what. Children need unconditional and understanding love. They need to know that they are loved by you no matter what they look like, no matter what grades they get or how well they can play sports. Once they feel loved regardless they will feel better about being who they are.

2. The second thing you can do to make your child feel more confident is to let them make some of their own choices. Give them a little bit of independence and it will go a long way. The little children can choose the clothes they wear, the movies they watch (education and kid friendly only), the foods they eat (healthy food options), and such. Older children can choose to play are sport, or be in the band. When your child's life goes more according to their own personal choices they will feel good inside, proud and responsible.

3. The third thing you can do to help boost your child's self esteem is to give your children a little bit of responsibility. Kids need to do good things to feel good things. Make your child responsible for the upkeep of their room, toys, and clothing. When they know they've done as asked and expected and have done a great job at it they will feel great. They will also be learning to be independent and responsible. Older children can have chores.

4. The fourth thing that you can do to help improve your child's self esteem is to communicate with them. Talk to them daily. Make a conversation time. Ask them how they are doing in school, with friends, school work etc. Talk to them about the situations in their life and offer support and understanding. Help them to work through problems they may be facing. A child who is facing a difficult situation is not likely to feel good. Many times these situations are at school and parents don't know about them unless they ask. You can't fight your child's battles for them but you can help them to make good choices towards resolving the problem.

5. The fifth thing you can do to improve your child's self esteem is to respect them. Teaching respect is one of those things that needs to be done. The best way to teach a child to be respectful is to respect them. This works both ways. It teaches the child respect and it also helps them to feel good about themselves. How? Respect from a parents means they are respectable. When you feel respectable you feel good inside.

6. The sixth thing that parents can do to help their children feel good about them selves is to compliment them often. When anyone is complimented it makes them feel all warm and fuzzy. The same goes for children. Tell them they look very nice, or that they did a great job. Praise good behavior to make your child feel great, and also to eliminate unacceptable behaviors.

7. The seventh thing that you can do to help your child have better self esteem is to keep your discipline in check. Never name call. Do not threaten. Discipline is about teaching a child to understand what they did wrong and why not to do it again. Harsh discipline is actually punishment and can greatly lower a child's self esteem. Never call your child bad. The behavior may be unacceptable but does that make the whole child unacceptable? They may feel as if they are.

8. The eighth thing that you can do to improve the way your child feels about themselves is to spend time with them. A child who feels loved and wanted will be much more likely to feel good than a child who doesn't. Watch a movie, read a book, study, go for a walk, play a game, or whatever. Simply taking twenty five minutes or so of each day to spend quality time with your child can make a big difference.

9. The ninth thing that you can do to help boost your child's self esteem is to help them to do good in school. A child who has suffering grades will not feel good about it. A child who just doesn't understand the material being taught will likely feel like they are not smart. Keep involved in your child's schoolwork and education. Do all you can do to make sure they are understanding material and getting good grades.

10. The tenth and final tip of things you can do to make your child feel good inside is to consider your own self esteem. If you have poor self esteem your children likely will too, but on the other hand if you are confident in your strengths and abilities your children will learn to be as well. Thanks for reading and take care!