Ways to build self esteem in kids

Active listening is an important skill to adopt to help build your child's self-esteem

A healthy self-esteem will allow your child to face challenges and successfully learn to navigate the world. According to Kids Health, if your child has a healthy self-esteem she will be able to solve her problems and avoid peer pressure. Kids with healthy self-esteems tend to be happier and have more positive attitudes, says Kids Health. If you notice your child suffering from a low self-esteem, there are many different ways to boost her self-confidence and teach her to value herself.

Build her Confidence
Self-confidence is one way to boost your child's self-esteem because it will help her feel better about her abilities. Healthy Children recommends finding ways for your child to be successful at what she sets out to do. As she learns that she is capable of doing many things, her self-esteem will begin to improve. Encourage your child to seek out new opportunities but do not have unrealistic expectations of how well she will succeed. Praising her for trying something new and avoiding criticism will enable her keep trying.

Connect with your Child
Taking time out of each day to communicate with your child will send the message that she can count on you. According to Diana Loomans and Julia Loomans, authors of "100 Ways to Build Self-Esteem and Teach Values," there are many different lessons you child learns when you spend time together and these lessons translate to a healthy self-esteem. Loomans and Loomans encourage you to really listen to how your child feels and empathize with her. Discussing potential solutions to problems together will enable your child to gain the support she needs as well as the tools to approach challenges successfully. Simply spending time together doing something enjoyable can also boost your child's self-esteem by increasing her happiness, say Loomans and Loomans.

Make home a safe place
Children who feel secure and loved at home are more likely to have a higher self-esteem, says Healthy Children. You can help your child feel secure by using positive praise and avoiding criticism. Building a family unit built on mutual trust and respect will allow your child to live in a home that supports and loves her no matter what.

A supportive and safe environment will build a healthy self-esteem because your child will know that someone is always there to take care of her and help her grow up.

Communicate with your Child
Active listening is an important skill you can adopt to help build your child's self-esteem, say Loomans and Loomans. Compassion and empathy are important components of active listening and will allow your child to be heard. Acknowledging how she feels will give you the opportunity to learn what is bothering your child so that a solution can be found that will help grow her feelings of self-worth. Loomans and Loomans write that ignoring or discounting your child's feelings will lower her self-esteem because she will interpret your behavior as uncaring and not supportive.