|
High self esteem is what gives kids the courage to say, “No thanks.” It feeds the self empowerment that makes kids believe they can:
- act independently from their peer group
- make good decisions for themselves
- teach children to be assertive, but not obnoxious
- expect them to work for what they want and achieve their own goals
- reward persistence – don’t jump in to help or “fix”
- demonstrate confidence in them – you know they will figure things out
- keep expectations reasonable and appropriate
- teach them about conflict resolution, then let them settle their own disagreements with siblings and friends
- teach good decision-making skills then give them lots of opportunity to practice decision-making and learn from the consequences
- keep criticism constructive, never taking the form of ridicule
- encourage them to build competency
- be good at something (e.g., gymnastics, or cooking breakfast or fixing their bicycle or playing the guitar or whatever interests them)
- let them learn from disappointment
|
