5 easy ways to boost your child’s self-esteem

A positive sense of self-worth is one of the best gifts that your child can have from you. Kids with a healthy self-esteem grow up to be competent and resourceful adults. Self-esteem is all about how a person perceives the self, his innate qualities and abilities. However, holding one’s self in high esteem isn’t equivalent to arrogance or narcissism. A fine line separates self-respect from the other two.  

To a large extent, self-worth stems from the love and support children get from people who matter to them: Parents and teachers. Work with your child to help her celebrate who she is and set her up for a happy and successful life. You need to balance your kid’s positive self-worth with other crucial life skills: Kindness, empathy and gratitude. However, finding ways to inculcate self-esteem in your child can be a daunting task. These small steps will guide you to show your child the right direction and help her grow up into an adult who knows her worth.  

Encourage free thinking 
Allow your kids to think independently. In the middle school years, encourage them to figure out how the right ways of interaction and solution to problems related to assignments or friends. Teaching them organisational skills will also enable them to deal with life situations better. All these will contribute to a well-balanced self-worth.  

Appreciate appropriately 
A well-thought and constructive feedback in response to an achievement or failure will have a great impact on how your child sees himself. Do not insult him for his mistakes. Instead, figure out ways to share a constructive evaluation with pointers for improvement. Similarly, you need to be extremely cautious while praising your child. Watch what you are appreciating. Focus more on the effort that has gone behind an achievement, not the innate abilities.   

Assign chores and responsibilities  
Taking up responsibilities lends a sense of purpose which is essential for self-worth. Assign age-appropriate chores to your child. Moreover, performing these tasks will help in the development of other essential skill sets while make them feel in control of life.  

Turn failures into learning experiences 
It is important to help your child realise that there is nothing wrong in making mistakes. What matters is how they address it. Teach your little one to view mistakes as learning opportunities and accept criticism as a tool to improve. This will help him manage setbacks confidently. Confidence is one of the crucial attributes that boost self-esteem. 

Love her unconditionally 
As a parent, it is very important for you to make your child feel that you are and will be there for her, come what may. This will instil a sense of security in her which, in turn, will play a crucial role in how she sees herself.