As a parent or caregiver of a child, you have a unique opportunity to help a child develop healthy self-esteem. Listed below are several guidelines that can help you make a positive impact on the children in your life.
- Provide Encouragement – Recognize your child’s strengths and give them positive feedback. The more you recognize their strengths, the more they will learn to appreciate those strengths in the future.
- Demonstrate Respect – Your child is a person and deserves to be treated with love and respect. Model respect and they will learn to respect themselves and those around them.
- Provide Guidance – Teach your child what you want him/her to know. Don’t expect them to magically know what to do or how to do the things you expect of them. Look for teachable moments and help your child develop the skills they need to thrive as an adult.
- Be Flexible – Allow your child to make mistakes and learn from them. Allow them to develop their own interests and their own way of doing things.
- Give Recognition – Recognize your child’s efforts and improvements in behavior. They may not always succeed, but you want your child to continue to put forth effort toward overcoming the obstacles that they will face.
- Give Responsibility – Show faith in your child’s abilities to learn and to become responsible for themselves.
- Encourage Participation – Encourage your child to be involved in the decision-making process. It is a great opportunity to help them learn how to solve problems and develop leadership skills.
- Ask for Opinions – Ask your child for their opinions and let them make suggestions. This will help them learn to participate in discussions with others.
- Have Positive Expectations – If you look for positive things to happen, your child will learn to be positive. Remember, children often learn how to think about problems from the adults around them.
- Keep Them Involved – The more skills that a child has, the higher their self-esteem tends to be. The best way for a child to develop skills is by becoming involved in a variety of different activities.
Remember that no one is born with low self-esteem. We learn to feel bad about ourselves when we have been treated badly for a long time. When we are treated with love and respect, we tend to learn to love and respect ourselves.
New Dimensions Can Help!
If you or someone you know is experiencing any of the above symptoms or problems, New Dimensions can help. Our team of experienced therapists and psychiatrists can help you overcome these challenges and help you develop the skills you need to thrive. To schedule a complementary assessment or to find out more about our programs, contact us at 1-800-685-9796.
Our affiliate, MHThrive, provides Individual Therapy, Couples and Marriage Counseling, and Family Therapy at our locations in Katy, The Woodlands, and the Clear Lake area of Houston, Texas. We also provide telehealth therapy for anyone who resides within the State of Texas. To schedule an appointment with one of the MHThrive therapists, contact us at 713-477-0333 or visit www.mhthrive.com to learn more.