Building Self Esteem/Self Concept in Children

By: Juliana Salazar

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Self Esteem

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Self Concept/ Self Esteem

Self concept or self-esteem refers to how you feel about yourself. It is largely influenced by what you think certain others think about you. How well you get along with peers and family members and how you judge yourself in comparison with others, shapes your self-esteem. Whether at home, school, or the workplace, how well you understand and respond to ever-changing interpersonal demands also shapes your self-esteem.

(Notes- Child Development Class Sept. 2012)

“High self-esteem should not be a goal, but rather a result that comes with the mastery of challenging tasks.”

There are several different areas of self esteem:Here are five areas to one’s self concept.

• Physical Self Concept How you feel about your body and health

• EmotionalHow you feel about your feelings and how you express them

• Social How you feel about your ability to get along with others

• Spiritual/Moral How you feel about your religious beliefs or

your place in the “big picture”

• Intellectual/CognitiveHow you feel about your ability to think and solve problems

(Notes- Child Development Class Sept. 2012)

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WHY is it important to build self esteem?

Building kids’ self esteem is beneficial for several reasons:

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• Helps them have confidence• Can help others have self esteem• When someone discourages them, they can encourage themselves• Can be resilient to negative criticism• Can have courage to follow dreams• Be able to laugh when they make mistakes• Be able to pick themselves up after a setback• To reduce over-sensitivity• Etc…

(Notes- Child Development Class Sept. 2012)

Spoiling vs Self esteem• Spoiling means you are doing something that is harmful

for the child. Building self esteem in a child begins at birth and so does self esteem. The way to build self esteem is to show the baby love and attention and meet the needs that he or she cannot take care of yet. For example, when an infant is crying, try to understand and help them with what they are trying to communicate to you. Infants communication IS crying and making sounds. Giving them attention when this occurs is not spoiling them. (You are meeting their emotional and physical needs.)

(Video- From Here To Self Esteem, Cambridge Educational)

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What matters most is how you see yourself.

•Be a parent, but stay connected.•Keep child involved in positive and encouraging programs.•Show them their worth.•Love them.

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How can we improve the self esteem of children?

• eliminate the child’s negative self talk

• respect their ideas• praise the child (even if

they did something wrong, they had to have done at least one thing right during that situation)