Activities in Building Self-Esteem in Children

As parents, one of the main things we need to do is boost up and build our children’s self-esteem level. We need to teach our children to have a strong sense of self worth, both in themselves and in their talents. This can be difficult to do because as parents we need to give them ’space’ to find out certain things on their own and yet be there to guide them along the way too.

If we show a certain level of disinterest, giving them too much freedom, then that can lead to rebellion but if we are too strict, then that can also lead to problems and hinder them from developing independently.

Self-esteem can be encouraged and developed anytime in a persons life, that is why it’s always good to begin early with your children, so they will learn to trust in their abilities and talents. Below are some activities that you can do with your child that can help them increase their level of self-esteem.

1. Self-affirming statements

Have them stand in front of a mirror and say what a great person they are, or you can begin for them as they look at themselves in the mirror, until they get comfortable doing it by themselves. It may seem childish, but it works, and even some adults do it in order to boost their confidence for the upcoming day or event. You don’t even have to stick to the mirror process. They can say self-affirming words without looking in a mirror and it can be just as effective in helping them feel positive about themselves and have greater self-confidence.

Come up with a song that your child can easily remember, perhaps one to a favorite tune or mantra like, ’Happy Birthday’, but just change the words. When they get up in the morning, you can sing the mantra to your child and have them sing one to you. This should be a special time and a fun way of telling each other how special they are and how much you love them.

You can be creative, by showing your love and acceptance you can never go wrong. Feel free to come up with even more songs, or poems; as long as they encourage your child in what makes them so special.

2. Playing the Positive Traits Game

Another activity that you can do with your child, that will not only boost their self-esteem, but also help in building his or her vocabulary, is the positive trait game. In this game, you will each tell each other the positive traits that one sees in the other. The catch is that the trait should start in a specific letter of the alphabet.

The positive trait game is a wonderful way to teach your kid to think positive thoughts and to acknowledge the traits and talents that make him or her unique. This is also a great way to make sure that he or she will grow up knowing where his or her strengths lie.

3. Do activities that they love

It is good to introduce new activities to them so they can find out which ones they enjoy and feel they are good at. One great way to do this, is through summer programs, where they have all kinds of things for kids to do. For Example, maybe they find out they are great in art, drawing, painting but they don’t really enjoy music all that much. So don’t discount music lessons as part of his summer curriculum.

Anyhow, if he does not like it, at least he has learned something new. By allowing them to explore different things, they will find out what they love to do and what they are really good at; this is a wonderful way to boost their self-confidence early in life. Childhood is a wonderful time in life and by allowing your child to enjoy activates, they will become even more adventurous and open to learning new things.