As a parent, making sure your child feels loved, valued and confident is paramount. Because they are still developing, maintaining their self esteem is vital.
As they get older, they will naturally face more and more challenges, so building a good self esteem foundation from a young age is a good idea.
What causes low self esteem?
It’s hard to pinpoint the reasons for having low self-esteem, as this will vary from person to person. However, in children, self-esteem starts to develop from around age 4. There are a few signs you might pick up on that indicate your child is suffering from low confidence:
- Being critical and hard on themselves
- Focusing on their negatives, not their achievements
- Thinking that they don’t deserve to have fun
- Believing that others are better than them
What can I do to help?
Encourage positivity
By enforcing more positive thoughts, turning ‘I can’t’ to I can and reminding them of their past achievements can help change their mindset.
Goal setting
Setting goals can help your child to feel like they are achieving! Weekly goals like cleaning their room or reading a book are great ideas to start with. You could also set up some long term goals too! This can help them find some independence and give them something to work towards.
Self-care
This sounds like an obvious suggestion, however, a healthy diet, regular exercise and a good sleep routine can help your child feel better in themselves. Having them make time for things they enjoy is good too, bike rides, arts and crafts…etc.
Check in with them
Asking how they feel, for their opinions and ideas will help them to feel validated, and appreciated. Taking the time to check in with them will make them feel cared about. Including them in decisions, such as ‘what’s for dinner?’ can show that you value what they have to say.
Don’t criticise their mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes, and criticising your child may make them feel a lot worse about themselves. Show them that their mistakes are the ways that they will learn. Encouraging them to not be afraid of failure is important.
Praise them
Don’t be afraid to praise them, for small achievements and big ones. This can make your child feel assured. By showing them that you are proud, it shows them they should be proud of themselves too.
What we do
Here at Little Acorns Day Nursery, we want to encourage as much confidence from your children as possible. Our nursery school provides plenty of kids activities, and is the perfect place for your little one to develop their social and physical skills.
If you have any queries, questions, or want to come and visit us, you can get in touch with us today! Or give us a call on 01489 795860 for our Southampton branch, or 02380 653969 for our Eastleigh branch