It has been common knowledge among teachers for a long time that when children have a positive self-image, they are able to perform better academically. Think about your own life: the more self-assured you are, the more you believe you can handle any challenge.
Children are easier to motivate and more likely to reach their full potential. This is if they have a strong sense of their own capabilities and self-assurance.
Parents and teachers both need to help kids learn to have a growth mindset and a sense of competence. This is done by creating opportunities for success and offering regular praise and encouragement.
Children’s low self-esteem is a serious issue. It may have an effect on their social life, academic achievement, and general mental health. To self-medicate or to feel accepted, they may make ill-advised decisions.
How teachers can help children with low self esteem?
- The teacher should be aware of the child’s abilities and limitations and never publicly shame a child for poor performance.
- Teachers should try to help the child get better by keeping the lines of communication open. They should also encourage the child to share their struggles with the course material or the activity.
- They can collaborate on a strategy to improve the student’s performance.
- Even if children are weak in the classroom, they might shine in another area, such as music, the arts, or athletics.
- Teachers play an important role in helping children who struggle with low self-esteem. A child’s weaknesses could lie in any number of areas: co-curricular interests, athletics, or academics.
- Teachers have a responsibility to help children recognize their strengths. They should also encourage them to develop them further.
Tips for parents to help children with low self esteem
Parents can help their kids and teens who have trouble with self-confidence and low self-esteem in a big way. They are the ones that know their kids minds inside and out, usually better than anybody else.
To begin, parents should aim for a middle ground in their interactions with their kids, not being overly critical or overly supportive.
It’s best to steer clear of the following:
- Making comparisons between the child and other family members
- Overpraising the kid
- Always speaking ill of the kid
- Critiquing the kid or their actions in front of others
- Always finding fault with the child
Parents need to encourage their children, even for little achievements. But it’s counterproductive to heap excessive praise on them. A child who is shy and uncertain about themselves may benefit from positive reinforcement.
Parents must also give their full attention to their children. The ups and downs of a child’s emotional life are easily missed in today’s fast-paced world.
How can I tell if my child is struggling with low self-esteem?
Instances and traits of low self-esteem in a child
- They seek continuous reassurance from you or others.
- They seem distant and would rather observe than take part.
- They take criticism hard and are often disheartened.
- They are fearful of taking risks or expressing themselves in front of others.
- Making and maintaining friendships is difficult for them.
- Your kid often criticizes themselves or makes derogatory remarks
If your child exhibits any of these red flags, it may be time to step in and lend a hand in fostering a positive sense of self-worth. It’s essential to talk to your child and get expert help if you think they may be suffering from low self-esteem.
Why do so many children have such low self-esteem?
This list has the potential to be rather devastating. Many of our children repeatedly face several of these.
- Having a deep-seated sense of inadequacy brought on by persistent setbacks
- Having disrespectful, unkind, and unsupportive caregivers or parents
- Always subject to domestic instability or disorder
- Academic difficulties or difficulties in school
- Afflicted by a long-term disease or impairment
- Being prone to perfectionism
- Always confronted with adversity or suffering a traumatic incident
- Peer harassment in real life or on the web
No matter what the reason is, remember that you can help your child build a good sense of who they are.
Here are several other methods to help boost self-esteem.
1. Go out there and make some new friends
Encourage your children to help plan and organize fun events or outings. The success of their event will boost their self-esteem and encourage them to socialize more with their peers.
Help the kid branch out and meet new people. This is something that older siblings, teachers, and parents can pitch in on. A sibling can be a comforting presence at an event, such as a birthday celebration or picnic.
Help the kid get out and mingle with others. A child’s sense of self-worth might increase through interactions with fresh, encouraging adults. Children benefit from being in an environment filled with joy and optimism.
2. Playing together and taking part in sports
Schedule your workouts. Kids who regularly exercise feel better about themselves and grow healthier bodies.
Discover or make time for outside play for your child. Children’s health and development are best served by playing outside. They can channel their destructive emotions into productive physical activity.
Instead of spending all day on the internet or phone, you should get the kid involved in a sport.
3. Engage in productive actions
Children can get involved in a wide variety of positive pursuits, including youth groups, school clubs, music courses, community clubs, theater, and arts and crafts.
When a person’s efforts to make the lives of others better are noticed and rewarded, their sense of self-worth goes up a lot.
4. Seek counselling
Google now serves as our go-to resource for finding information around the clock. But there are some things that even Google can’t answer; therefore, we may need to consult an expert.
Almost any school today will offer professional counseling for parents and children. You can ask around at your kid’s school and neighborhood for recommendations. It’s also worth thinking about the rising popularity of online counseling services.
Conclusion
As a parent, one of the most rewarding things you can do is help your child feel better about himself or herself. You’ll be laying the groundwork for your children’s present and future happiness and success, and doing so may need some extra effort.
Don’t set an impossible standard for yourself, just as you wouldn’t for your children. Making mistakes is normal; don’t beat yourself up over them. If you make mistakes but keep attempting to spread optimism and love, they will eventually learn to trust you more.