Positive Affirmations – A Catalyst For Your Child’s Self-Esteem
It is widely recognized today that a healthy self-esteem is important for a child’s success both now and into the future. Children with good self-esteem are more confident in themselves and more willing to try harder in school because their self-confidence gives them hope that they will be able to master even those subjects that cause them the most difficulty. Self-esteem also helps them build positive friendships and resist the peer pressure that relies on low self-esteem in order to get your child to go along with the crowd and get distracted from his or her studies. As a parent, your involvement in your child’s life from an early age well on into adulthood is critical for building this self-esteem. Most children internalize what their parents tell them; thus, negative comments from mom and dad can have a detrimental effect of a child’s own self-worth for his or her entire life.
The primary way that parents can help build a child’s self-esteem is through regular and realistic positive affirmations. When parents encourage their child’s progress, the child is less apt to second guess himself or herself, and they are given a real hope that they will be able to conquer even the most difficult problems and situations. Positive affirmation is also crucial to a child’s well being because it counteracts the negative things that will already be occupying the inner dialogue of most boys and girls. Your children will probably already be getting down on themselves for falling short in whatever they are attempting, and more negative comments only make them want to give up more.
Of course, positive affirmation does not mean that we should lie to our children and convince them that they are the best student in math, English, history, or any other subject where they might have substantial weaknesses. There is a way to be both positive and honest at the same time. It is possible to tell a child that he or she is smart and can accomplish the assigned task without telling him or her that the highest mark is possible when the skill is not the child’s particular strong point.
Negative affirmations can destroy the self-esteem of children and weaken their abilities, so negative comments must always be given with sensitivity. Sandwiching a necessary but negative affirmation between two positive affirmations can lessen the blow of the negative news and help bolster self-esteem.
Since parents are not the only important adult figures in a child’s life, it is vital that the other adults whom the child knows also affirm him or her positively. Particularly important in this regard is having tutors who will be patient with the child and affirm the child’s abilities when necessary. Tutors who get cross with a child consistently and give other negative affirmations will damage the child’s potential for success, so finding capable, attentive, and positive tutors for your child is a must. When these tutors are hired through a quality third-party site like ours, parents can be confident that their child will receive the positive affirmation needed for success.
