Helping to Develop My Childs Self-Esteem

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In my old age I have realized that my self-esteem could be better. Much of my life I look back and wish I could of done things different or been different. My self-image has been less than healthy and I know with the help of God I will get better but as I grow and change I don’t want to pass this trait along to Madalyn. Here are several, easy to implement, tips for building self-esteem among children that I have found to be helpful:

1. Be a positive father – this past year has not been very positive for me. A lot of bad things have happened but I am no longer going to let it get me down. I am working hard on being positive and sharing that with Madalyn.

2. Watch what I say – giving a child continuous encouragement is important for their self-esteem, even if they get it wrong they should be commended for their efforts.

3. Help change their inaccurate beliefs – I have a lot of experience in this area and the “belief window” as Madalyn grows I want to be there for her. I need to align my beliefs with the word of God in order to pass accurate beliefs to my child.

4. Be affectionate – Madalyn goes back and forth with wanting affection. I don’t push it on her but I let her know that I am there if she wants it. Eventually she walks over or plops down next to me and gives me a hug or a kiss on the arm. I just wrap my arms around her and give her a big hug.

5. Provide a safe home environment – I work hard at providing this for Madalyn. Unfortunately I only have Madalyn 50% of the time and I am powerless during that time. But when she is with me I make it a point to provide a safe home where she knows she is loved and will be safe.

I am sure there are additional tips for building a healthy self-esteem in children and I would like to hear about them. The 5 tips that I mentioned sound easy to me but I am amazed sometimes how I can lose focus or raise my voice or withhold my affection at times. Ultimately it is my goal to show Madalyn that she is loved unconditionally as I am with God…

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