Self-Concept & Self-Esteem in Children
Promoting a healthy self-concept and self-esteem in children is important to the academic and life success of the child. Self-concept and self-esteem are often used interchangeably though they have different meanings. Self-concept is the child's perceptions of her strengths and weaknesses regarding a specific activity or talent. Self-esteem is based on how much she respects herself as a whole, and that concept includes overall happiness and satisfaction in life. Self-concept and self-esteem in children begins as infants. For instance, when a baby finally rolls over after dozens of attempts, it teaches her a "can-do" attitude.
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Parental Influence
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A child initially learns his self-concept from his parents, and the influence of his parents does not decline as he ages. Parents need to support and love their child and persistently provide positive feedback and encouragement. Parents need to be sincere when giving praise because he will be able to tell if it is not coming from the heart. Parents need to create a safe, loving home environment and teach by example. Children from abusive families or with parents that have low self-esteem will often suffer with esteem issues.
School Influence
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Authority figures and peers influence a child's self-esteem. For example If a teacher announces a girl's failing grade out-loud or constantly asks her questions that she is unable to answer, she may eventually feel as if she can do nothing right. In addition to the embarrassment during class, other children may ridicule her. A child may feel isolated and alone if he or she she is the last one picked for a team or if no one wants to play with him or her at recess. Jokes about weight, ethnicity or the way a child reads in class devalue the chjild's self-concept. From elementary through high school, a child's self-concept changes due to the influence of peers.
Labels
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Putting labels on a child can have a negative impact on his self-concept and self-esteem. For example telling him he is stupid, lazy, a lousy singer or a poor athlete, makes him believe he is not good enough. Health labels such as being asthmatic or having ADHD given to a child makes him identify with that label and may affect how both adults and children treat him. To build a healthy self-concept he needs to know that one health problem does not define his whole being, same with names other people call him. Help him to identify with the positive traits of his personality.
Behavior
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Children with low-self esteem often speak negatively of themselves, are inpatient and have a low tolerance of others. They can see a temporary setback as a permanent failure. Children with low or exaggerated self-esteem may become bullies. They may pick fights with siblings and become defiant of authority. On the other hand, a child with a healthy self-esteem enjoys interacting with others, is comfortable in social settings and makes decisions independently. He accepts himself for who he is, recognizing his strengths as well as his weaknesses. When faced with a challenge, he looks for solutions with a sense of optimism.
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According to the Michigan Department of Education the majority -- 86 percent -- of the American public thinks that parent involvement is the No. 1 way to make schools better. Additionally, out-of-school involvement programs in community organizations
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From the moment a child is born, she begins to learn about the world. One of the most fascinating areas of learning is the area of language development. A child will develop most of her understanding of her native language in her first three to five
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ADD, or Attention Deficit Disorder, is a genetic condition affecting the brain, and is one of the most common childhood disorders. As a parent, it is important to understand ADD and how you can help your child manage the condition to successfully cop
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