The Most Important Thing for Your Child is Self-Esteem

The single most important for your child to develop is a high sense of self-esteem.

Self-esteem/noun/… "confidence in one’s own worth or abilities"

Self-esteem is how we value and perceive ourselves. It is based on our opinions and beliefs about ourselves, and how much we like and value ourselves.

According to the University of California’s Psychology Professor, Richard W. Robins “There are few psychological characteristics that have been studied more than self-esteem.”

Why is self-esteem the most important thing for your child to develop?

Children with high self-esteem:

· Try new things

· Can play in groups or on their own

· Make friends easily

· Can admit mistakes and learn from them

· Try their best

· Have more confidence

· Have more connection with others

· Are able to demonstrate and develop empathy

Having a sense of self worth develops confident children who prosper is all areas of life. Self-esteem affects everything from our ability to learn new things to making and keeping good friends.

A child’s self-esteem can be built from birth and will continue to be created and nurtured day by day. Parents, caregivers and teachers are all responsible for contributing to a child’s developing sense of self-esteem.

What can we do to build a child’s self-esteem?

· Listen to, and acknowledge thoughts and feelings

· Catch your child doing well – and praise it!

· Create new experiences so the child can find something they love and get good at

· Create situations where your child can experience success

· Give your child a reasonable sense of control and choice over their life and modify as they grow

· Give your child responsibility and expect cooperation

· Accept your child’s big feelings and teach them how to deal with them

Most of all, be a role model of high self-esteem for the children around you. Never underestimate just how much children learn from watching adults.

By the time a child leaves Eduplay it is our goal for them to:

· Know they can succeed if they try hard enough

· Know they are a good friend

· Know what they are especially good at

· Know how to express themselves

· Know that mistakes are okay

· Know that big feelings are okay

· Know that they are enough!