Building Character
and Self-Esteem

Building character and self-esteem in children is of the utmost importance for the overall development of personality. Parents contribute the most to the process of building character and self-esteem in children.

However, do you know what self-esteem really means? To quote Michael R. Sheehan, clinical psychologist and creator of The Self-Esteem Game, a healthy self-esteem in children is the "positive view and good feelings [they have] of themselves."

Healthy self-esteem is a positive trait of personality and an important concept in parenting. According to Marianne Neifert, healthy self-esteem describes appropriate self-acceptance, self-love and self-confidence that can act as the foundation for self-improvement.

Building character and Self-Esteem - Teach them Young

Self-esteem has its basis in a child's personal belief system. It is the way children feel about themselves and the ways they believe others see them. Building character and self-esteem influences personality. It influences children's attitude for doing things, handling problems, and dealing with peers.

Success in academic field enhances self-confidence and thereby develops self-esteem. Failure in scholastic efforts often leads to low self-esteem, which may keep a child away from taking new tasks and challenges.

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The sense of self-esteem develops at an early stage in children's lives when they are exposed to caring adults who respond affectionately to them. When children feel that their significant others love them, are concerned with their safety and need their company, a feeling of self-worth evolves in them. Thus, building character and self-esteem evolve.

On the other hand, if children feel unaccepted and unworthy of love, a poor self-concept may result. Factors like unusual appearance, poor coordination, learning problems, attention disorders, adjustment difficulties, ethnicity, poverty or discrimination can also contribute to low self-esteem.

Building Character and Self-Esteem - Understand the Basics

Mere praising or flattery in no way helps in building healthy self-esteem. Instead, adults need to make children feel they are being respected. And, they develop self-confidence by being given the opportunity to accomplish challenging tasks.

Again, the cultivation of self-esteem is a gradual process and not consistent over time. Building character and healthy self-esteem in children is crucial for their personal and social every day lives.

Self-esteem is not always healthy. Low self-esteem and unhealthy self-esteem can create many problems.

To quote Dr. Sheehan . . .

"We can hold ourselves in high regard and feel good about ourselves for unhealthy reasons. It is not unusual for the school bully to feel good about himself for being able to beat up everyone else in the class. Sometimes children and adults feel good about themselves for getting even in a mean and vindictive way. Additionally, some people base their feelings of high regard on their successes and achievements. This attachment of worth to performance is actually a set up for a loss of self-esteem."

Parents should play a vital role in the development of self-esteem during their children's formative years. Children should study the lives of great people to understand the significance of healthy self-esteem.