Help Your Child Feel Great

As your child starts to develop a self-awareness and self-esteem, they are constantly looking at you for approval and reassurance.  Through support of their successes and help with their challenges, you are shaping how they feel about themselves.  Beyond having reasonable expectations about their development, celebrating their uniqueness, and tuning into your child’s feelings, there are some more specific ways that you can help your child to develop a positive sense of self and “feel great.”  As you create an environment in which your child can feel good about themselves, you are laying the foundation for the most vital cornerstone for their healthy development.

Here are two easy strategies that parents have used and found success:

The Right Kind of Praise
It is easy to fall into a habit of ineffective and empty compliments. For example, telling your child, “Good job!” does not let them know what you appreciate about their actions. Similarly, saying things like, “Good boy/girl!” may reinforce an idea that they can be bad at other times. Use specific praise with your little one like, “Wow! I noticed how hard you worked on that drawing.  Look at how you used the red and blue colors!”

Taking Pride in New Skills
A sense of achievement is important to children. Early development is marked by so many new skills, whether it is running and jumping or learning new words. Talk to your child about all that they are accomplishing. They will love realizing how successful they are, which helps build confidence!

Self-esteem is how your child feels about himself or herself. When basic needs are met, self-esteem is higher. A child that feels worthwhile, loved, lovable, successful, understood, and important is a creating a strong foundation for a healthy sense of self and healthy self-esteem.