Summary
- Kids need to fail and be frustrated to build resilience and self-esteem.
- It is important for kids to be independent to raise self-esteem.
- Parents need to talk to their kids about healthy ways to navigate social media.
Independent learning
Building self-esteem is an important part of growth. There are many ways to help kids build self-esteem, many of which relate to learning. In fact, kids need a lot of chances to learn new skills. The key, though, is letting them learn on their own. This process instills confidence. By the same token, it is important for kids to learn how to problem solve. This builds a sense of accomplishment. Kids who feel like they can overcome hurdles on their own feel good about themselves.
Letting kids fail
The learning process should also include the chance to fail. It is important for children to learn how to handle failure so that they can feel good about themselves even when things don’t go their way. Being able to tolerate frustration builds resilience. And this resilience is key to feeling good about themselves even if they make a mistake.
Parents can help kids when they falter by showing empathy. Let your kids know that their feelings are valid. Then help them by learning from the mistake or the experience rather than feeling badly about it.
Also, talk to them about having a growth mindset. This means that they embrace trying, failing, and learning. This is key because kids often feel pressure to get it right and perfect the first time, and then feel badly if they don’t. If the focus is on growing, they will be able to remind themselves that they can try and they will get the hang of it.
Do boys and girls need different support?
Issues that challenge self-esteem can affect boys and girls alike. This said, each gender can face unique issues. For instance, boys may have a harder time sitting for a long time in school. Being shamed for this can turn kids off to learning. In turn, academic struggles can harm self-esteem. Parents can help by reinforcing good choices and praising good behavior.
For girls, today’s media landscape can be especially hard on body image. It seems that images of thin, airbrushed females are everywhere. It can be tough for girls to feel confident when they don’t think they match what the media presents as ideal. Parents can take these steps to help their girls build self-esteem:
- Be a good role model. Don’t label yourself as good or bad based on what you have eaten. Also, be sure not to talk about your appearance or size in front of kids.
- Teach media literacy. Talk to your daughter about how to see these images for what they are. Teach kids that they are not realistic and not a standard for what is healthy.
- Help girls find their voice. Talk to your daughter about using her voice to make her wishes known. Listen to her choices so she knows she is valued.
Impact of social media
The online world is a part of daily life for young people. It is an evolving platform for everything from school to fun. Yet with all of the benefits of technology, there too is risk. It is extra hard to navigate social media, often centered on feedback from others via comments and likes.
It is important to foster a sense of accomplishment from within rather than social media feedback. Teach your kids to decide on their own how they feel about themselves. This way, whether online or in person, any negative feedback carries less weight. And the most helpful thing you can do is support your kids no matter what. When kids have your support, self-esteem has a healthy breeding ground.
Summary
- Kids need to fail and be frustrated to build resilience and self-esteem.
- It is important for kids to be independent to raise self-esteem.
- Parents need to talk to their kids about healthy ways to navigate social media.
Independent learning
Building self-esteem is an important part of growth. There are many ways to help kids build self-esteem, many of which relate to learning. In fact, kids need a lot of chances to learn new skills. The key, though, is letting them learn on their own. This process instills confidence. By the same token, it is important for kids to learn how to problem solve. This builds a sense of accomplishment. Kids who feel like they can overcome hurdles on their own feel good about themselves.
Letting kids fail
The learning process should also include the chance to fail. It is important for children to learn how to handle failure so that they can feel good about themselves even when things don’t go their way. Being able to tolerate frustration builds resilience. And this resilience is key to feeling good about themselves even if they make a mistake.
Parents can help kids when they falter by showing empathy. Let your kids know that their feelings are valid. Then help them by learning from the mistake or the experience rather than feeling badly about it.
Also, talk to them about having a growth mindset. This means that they embrace trying, failing, and learning. This is key because kids often feel pressure to get it right and perfect the first time, and then feel badly if they don’t. If the focus is on growing, they will be able to remind themselves that they can try and they will get the hang of it.
Do boys and girls need different support?
Issues that challenge self-esteem can affect boys and girls alike. This said, each gender can face unique issues. For instance, boys may have a harder time sitting for a long time in school. Being shamed for this can turn kids off to learning. In turn, academic struggles can harm self-esteem. Parents can help by reinforcing good choices and praising good behavior.
For girls, today’s media landscape can be especially hard on body image. It seems that images of thin, airbrushed females are everywhere. It can be tough for girls to feel confident when they don’t think they match what the media presents as ideal. Parents can take these steps to help their girls build self-esteem:
- Be a good role model. Don’t label yourself as good or bad based on what you have eaten. Also, be sure not to talk about your appearance or size in front of kids.
- Teach media literacy. Talk to your daughter about how to see these images for what they are. Teach kids that they are not realistic and not a standard for what is healthy.
- Help girls find their voice. Talk to your daughter about using her voice to make her wishes known. Listen to her choices so she knows she is valued.
Impact of social media
The online world is a part of daily life for young people. It is an evolving platform for everything from school to fun. Yet with all of the benefits of technology, there too is risk. It is extra hard to navigate social media, often centered on feedback from others via comments and likes.
It is important to foster a sense of accomplishment from within rather than social media feedback. Teach your kids to decide on their own how they feel about themselves. This way, whether online or in person, any negative feedback carries less weight. And the most helpful thing you can do is support your kids no matter what. When kids have your support, self-esteem has a healthy breeding ground.
Summary
- Kids need to fail and be frustrated to build resilience and self-esteem.
- It is important for kids to be independent to raise self-esteem.
- Parents need to talk to their kids about healthy ways to navigate social media.
Independent learning
Building self-esteem is an important part of growth. There are many ways to help kids build self-esteem, many of which relate to learning. In fact, kids need a lot of chances to learn new skills. The key, though, is letting them learn on their own. This process instills confidence. By the same token, it is important for kids to learn how to problem solve. This builds a sense of accomplishment. Kids who feel like they can overcome hurdles on their own feel good about themselves.
Letting kids fail
The learning process should also include the chance to fail. It is important for children to learn how to handle failure so that they can feel good about themselves even when things don’t go their way. Being able to tolerate frustration builds resilience. And this resilience is key to feeling good about themselves even if they make a mistake.
Parents can help kids when they falter by showing empathy. Let your kids know that their feelings are valid. Then help them by learning from the mistake or the experience rather than feeling badly about it.
Also, talk to them about having a growth mindset. This means that they embrace trying, failing, and learning. This is key because kids often feel pressure to get it right and perfect the first time, and then feel badly if they don’t. If the focus is on growing, they will be able to remind themselves that they can try and they will get the hang of it.
Do boys and girls need different support?
Issues that challenge self-esteem can affect boys and girls alike. This said, each gender can face unique issues. For instance, boys may have a harder time sitting for a long time in school. Being shamed for this can turn kids off to learning. In turn, academic struggles can harm self-esteem. Parents can help by reinforcing good choices and praising good behavior.
For girls, today’s media landscape can be especially hard on body image. It seems that images of thin, airbrushed females are everywhere. It can be tough for girls to feel confident when they don’t think they match what the media presents as ideal. Parents can take these steps to help their girls build self-esteem:
- Be a good role model. Don’t label yourself as good or bad based on what you have eaten. Also, be sure not to talk about your appearance or size in front of kids.
- Teach media literacy. Talk to your daughter about how to see these images for what they are. Teach kids that they are not realistic and not a standard for what is healthy.
- Help girls find their voice. Talk to your daughter about using her voice to make her wishes known. Listen to her choices so she knows she is valued.
Impact of social media
The online world is a part of daily life for young people. It is an evolving platform for everything from school to fun. Yet with all of the benefits of technology, there too is risk. It is extra hard to navigate social media, often centered on feedback from others via comments and likes.
It is important to foster a sense of accomplishment from within rather than social media feedback. Teach your kids to decide on their own how they feel about themselves. This way, whether online or in person, any negative feedback carries less weight. And the most helpful thing you can do is support your kids no matter what. When kids have your support, self-esteem has a healthy breeding ground.