5 Ways To Build Your Child’s Self-Worth

What good parent doesn’t want their kids to be happy and successful? But how do we do that, exactly?

We compliment and affirm, support them, tell them to chase their dreams, and teach them to live for something bigger than themselves. What else can we do?

According to experts, we should teach them how to be resilient and confident and build their sense of worthiness.  

Beyond that, here are five effective ways to build your child’s self-esteem.

Give Your Child Responsibilities

Studies show that children given age-appropriate responsibilities from an early age become highly successful adults.

Give them choices, too.

Having options and choices makes a child feel validated – that their opinion and what they think matters. 

Give young children some simple chores around the house. And let them choose between pancakes or waffles.

Their range of responsibilities and choices should grow with them as they grow to help prepare them for more challenging decisions they’ll face later on in life.

Will they whine and complain? Sure, probably at first, but they’ll thank you later. So, stay the course. 

Create Opportunities for Growth

Observe what your child enioys and captures their interest. Then help them grow by setting achievable goals in their areas of interest.

This opens new opportunities for your kids and builds confidence as they learn something new, and even making new friends as their social circle expands.

Remember, what interests them might not interest you. Support them anyway because they need to feel accepted by their parents. 

You might want them to play varsity basketball, but if they love painting instead, show your support; and whatever you do, don’t focus on their weaknesses and shortcomings. 

Help Your Child See the Bright Side of Failures

As parents, our hearts beam with pride when our kids master new skills and achievements. However, they won’t always win; they will sometimes mess up and fail. It’s human to make mistakes. 

Please let your child know that you’re not seeking or demanding perfection.

It’s about effort and progress, even if it means failing along the way sometimes, because while failing is never pleasant, it’s a crucial part of learning and growing up.

Failure keeps them humble, too, and can build resilience, helping them have the courage to persevere and try again, which isn’t even easy for adults.

However, our job as parents is to show our kids that we love and accept them no matter what. Period. No questions asked. 

Use failure to train them to have a good attitude during difficult moments, to be positive, gracious, and kind, and to always stay persistent and persevere.

Praise from Your Heart

Is your praise empty or heartfelt? 

Kids are intuitive and know if you mean it or are just going through the motions.

The next time you affirm or praise your kid, make sure it’s heartfelt and be specific.

Look them in the eye and tell them exactly why you feel like you do -be specific, and let them know what caught your attention and why.  

Affirming your child this way might not seem like a big deal to you, but it makes them feel accepted and loved unconditionally. 

Avoid Sarcasm

It’s easy to become frustrated and say things we don’t mean when the stress and demands of life get the better of us. 

But we must be careful because kids take everything to heart. 

When we blurt out sarcastic comments or jokes, they pick up on our tone and choice of language.

Remember, your child always seeks your approval, even if they pretend not to care. 

They want you to notice them and be proud of them.

At the same time, we can be overly critical of them: they’re lazy, misbehave, and talk back. But saying these harsh, sarcastic things doesn’t motivate them; it only makes things worse. Not only will you regret saying it, but your child will also develop a negative view of themselves. This impacts their emotional and psychological health, which undermines their self-esteem.

So, the next time your child frustrates you, take a few minutes to cool down before blurting out hurtful words and accusations.

As you can see, these five tips are pretty simple but will significantly impact your child because they make you a much better parent. Choose one or two to start implementing right now to help your child unlock their best life!