Grow Up Happy -- Build Self Esteem Early
Children's feelings and thoughts about themselves can fluctuate from day to day. However, their overall level of confidence and self-esteem, which defines their ability to successfully face the many situations, decisions, and challenges that life brings, requires constant nurturing and reinforcement to grow strong.
You have tremendous influence over your child's feelings of self-worth. Starting when your child is very young, help him or her develop a strong belief in his or her abilities -- it is vital to psychological well-being.
Encourage your children to be positive when they "talk" to themselves. Self-talk is very important. What children think determines how they feel and that determines how they behave.
Also, work with your children on building decision-making skills and help them recognize and celebrate when they have made a good decision. Kids make decisions all the time but often aren't aware that they are doing so.
A child who develops healthy self-esteem is more likely to:
- Have confidence to try new things
- Make social connections
- Resist peer pressure
- Effectively solve problems
All of these skills will help your children avoid stress, depression, and substance abuse throughout life.
On the other hand, recent studies suggest that lack of self-esteem can lead to depression, eating disorders, increased vulnerability to drug and alcohol abuse and peer pressure, early sexual involvement, and other behaviors that could compromise your child's health, now and as an adult.
If feelings of low self-worth continue in adulthood, a person may be less likely to exercise or eat healthfully, which adds to the risk of obesity, heart disease, and other illnesses.
RealAge Projection: Learning how to take care of their emotional health and well-being will benefit kids indefinitely. If they keep it up in adulthood, at 50 they could look and feel closer to 34.
