Building Your Child's Self-Esteem

Start Early, Stay Focused

Building up self-esteem in your child needs to be done from infancy. “Children begin to learn about themselves from the very beginning,” says Pantley. “Talk to your baby and praise her often, even for tiny victories like learning to drink from a cup. Give your baby applause and let her know you think she is spectacular. When children see they can accomplish things, it boosts their esteem, especially if it is noticed and praised by adults.”

During their growth and development, children go through many stages of self-doubt—often comparing themselves to others and feeling they come up short. As a parent, you can offset this natural tendency by giving your kids the skills to think more positively. “It is important that you really listen to your children and help them overcome their negative thoughts and beliefs,” Pantley says. “There is real value in discussing positive thinking and self-esteem with children on a regular basis.”

According to her there are good books written for children, as well as adults, which demonstrate the use of positive thinking. “Reading a book together is a good launching pad for starting a conversation. Pointing out positive versus negative attitudes from news stories or life stories is an excellent way of showing your children just how this all works in real life, too,” says Pantley.

Parents always hope that their children will have a positive outlook on life, but most often how this happens is left to chance. When you take this matter into your hands and look for ways to guide your children's thoughts in a positive direction, you will see very exciting results. And remember it is important that parents really listen to their children and help them overcome their negative thoughts and beliefs.