Boosting Your Child's Self-Esteem!

One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is a positive self-esteem. Why? Because children with high self-esteem are competent, feel loved and ultimately grow into happy, healthy and productive adults. So what can you do to boost your child’s self-esteem? Here are some easy ideas:

·         Give your children choices – within reason. Choices with a reasonable set of options allows your child to feel empowered. Let them make smaller decisions now and this will help them with bigger decisions as they grow.

·         Don’t do everything for them. Have some patience and let them work out a situation on their own. This allows them to face more challenges and as they do so, they become more confident.

·         Make sure your child knows that noone is perfect and they shouldn’t expect to be either. Watch how you react to things your child does and mistakes they make. Your reaction determines how your child will react.

·         Give your children chores that are appropriate for their age. These can be anything from setting the table to walking the dog and anything in between. Assigning certain tasks and allowing them to do them gives them problem-solving skills and a sense of competency.

·         Don’t compare your children to each other or two other children. Each child is unique in their own way and their differences should be celebrated.

      Spend one-on-one time with your child on a regular basis. It doesn’t matter if it’s over lunch or on a bike ride or a walk in the park – spending time with your child in this way allows them to discuss things that are on their mind and further strengthen the bond you have with each other.