One of the most important things you can do for your child is to help them develop healthy self-esteem. Small World Learning Center is here to provide four important ways to help your child build self-esteem by encouraging them to be independent. Not only will developing healthy self-esteem help during child development, but it will also lay the foundation for a happy and successful adulthood.
From healthy habits like encouraging them to dress themselves or brush their teeth on their own to demonstrating quality traits to future friends, continue reading to learn more about what builds healthy self-esteem for your child. Learn more about our life-building classes today!
Praise Them for Their Efforts
You may be familiar with the age-old saying, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” However, this is only partially accurate regarding raising children with healthy self-esteem. It is essential to praise your child regularly, but more importantly, you should focus on honoring their efforts and not just their accomplishments. For example, if your child is trying hard to learn how to tie their shoes but isn’t quite there yet, tell them that you are proud of their efforts and that you know they will eventually get it. This will help them feel good about themselves and encourage them to keep trying even when they fail immediately.
Even if it feels routine, asking your child what they did for a day gives them a platform of value to share what they’re proud of from their day. This also allows you to refrain from asking leading questions that might inadvertently give your child the answer you want to hear instead of their honest opinion. For example, if you ask your child how their day was and they reply, “Fine,” don’t push them for more information. Instead, ask follow-up questions like “What was the best part of your day?” or “Do you have any stories about today that made you laugh?” These questions will encourage your child to open up about their day and give you a better idea of how they are feeling.
Be a Positive Role Model
Children learn by observing the people around them, so it’s essential to be a positive role model if you want your child to have healthy self-esteem. This means you should avoid putting yourself down in front of your child or speaking negatively about others. Instead, focus on speaking kindly and respectfully to others and emphasizing the importance of always doing your best. Additionally, you should try to do things that make you happy and show your child that it’s okay to take care of yourself sometimes.
Demonstrating a genuinely positive attitude while handling life situations in front of your child will play a role in your child and how they will form and develop positive friendships. From sharing how you manage disappointment to celebrating weekly accomplishments, being a role model for your child will help them understand how to be a good friend as they grow and meet new people.
Focus On Strengths
One of the best ways to help your child build self-esteem is to focus on their strengths. This doesn’t mean that you should ignore their weaknesses altogether, but it’s important to emphasize their positive qualities more than their negative ones. For example, if your child is shy, you might say, “I can tell that you’re feeling a little shy right now, but I know that you’re really good at making friends once you get to know them.” This will help your child feel good about themselves and encourage them to focus on their strengths instead of their weaknesses.
Small World Learning Center maintains meaningful observations of your child and their strengths in play and social interactions. Through play, children learn how to interact with their environment and the people around them. Our licensed childcare professionals are trained to help children build on their strengths while working on improvement areas. Contact our Littleton daycare center today to enroll your child!
Healthy Boundaries to Develop Respect
Encouraging your child’s self-esteem is great. However, it’s also important to help them understand healthy boundaries and expectations with others. Just as you wouldn’t want someone to hit you, explaining why we don’t hit others is essential. We also expect people to use kind words with us and shouldn’t call each other names. Helping your child develop respect for themselves and others is paramount in having lasting, positive relationships.
Small World Learning Center is more than just licensed child care and early learning. We also focus on helping your child develop positive social skills that will last a lifetime. So contact our Littleton daycare center today to enroll your child and give them a head start on developing healthy relationships!
Let Your Child Be Involved in Decision-Making
Giving your child the opportunity to be involved in decision-making is a great way to help them build self-esteem. This could mean letting them choose what they want to wear for the day or what they want to eat for breakfast. It might even involve letting them help you grocery shop or pick a new toy. Allowing your child to have some control over their life will help them feel good about themselves and show them that you trust their judgment.
At the Small World Learning Center, we understand the importance of healthy self-esteem in children. We are dedicated to helping our students grow and develop in all areas of their lives. Contact us today to learn more about our program or to schedule a tour of our Littleton daycare center!
