10 Ways to Boost Your Child’s Self-Esteem

By: Frankie Charles

Simple ideas to help Young Urban Moms raise happy, healthy, well-adjusted kids who have respect for themselves and others

Parents want to raise happy, healthy well-adjusted kids who have respect for themselves and others. There are endless ways to help your child garner self-esteem, but if you’re at a loss then try one of these simple ideas.

1. Praise them when they do the right thing. For every correction, try to find something else to praise.
2. Be a good example. If your kids watch you allow someone to treat you poorly they’ll model your behavior.
3. Pay attention to what they’re good at and then accentuate it. Frame that school picture or put the A+ test paper on the fridge.
4. After a certain age kids know when you’re letting them win, so don’t do it as it lowers self-esteem rather than raises it.
5. Help them learn something new. Everyone gets a sense of accomplishment after learning a new skill.
6. Exercise. Physical activity makes people feel better physically and mentally. Go for a hike up a large hill and celebrate when you arrive at the summit!
7. Use some tough love when necessary. Children crave structure and rules. It’s good to be firm, but kind and your little ones will respect you and themselves.
8. Let them pay. When you go shopping, let your child pay at the checkout. It gives them a sense of responsibility when you trust them to do something grown up.
9. Let them work out an argument with another child. Kids learn how to coexist with others through disagreement resolution. Don’t be too quick to jump in and stop a fight. If it’s possible, Let them work it out for themselves.
10. Don’t praise them for everything they do because then they have no way to judge when they have done something out of the ordinary.

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