Esteem, having to do with respect and admiration, if not managed in the right order can cause melt down in your children’s emotions and feelings, thereby affecting their day to day activities and making them less productive. Among the levels of esteem, low self-esteem seem to be critical and common in children.
There are factors that lead to low self-esteem which parents can figure out and nip in the bud, below is a list that explains further on the effects of low self-esteem.
1. Diminish in Self-Worth:
Alot of kids look down on themselves and believes that there are limitations to the things they can do, only if they know their effort is needed to make the community a better place, encourage them by adding to their strength, tell them they can when they feel like they can’t, remind them that they are the best and that the world can’t wait to have them.
You can as a parent, make your children understand the essence of value, by expressing your love and care towards your child.
Create a rapport so that he/she can come up to you and open up regardless of what bothers the child – do not be harsh so you don’t scare the child, listen up to every of the complaint made, make corrections if need be, all this helps you in bonding properly to avoid fear. Fear is a deadly feeling that first reduces high self-esteem. Buy new clothes regularly if you can to make the child happy as it boosts confidence.
2. Low Academic Performance:
When your kids do the wrong things be patient enough to correct them, comparing them with others should be the last thing on your mind, everyone has their uniqueness and weakness, take time in finding what’s unique about your children, scold them only when you have warned them severally against their bad habits, better still apply the carrot and stick method.
Encourage them to have role models they could look up to. This make them to be aware of who they are, for instance, if actress Genevieve Nnaji, Chimamanda Adichie, Usain Bolt, Mitchelle Obama, Wole Soyinka or Banky W are role models to any of your child and he or she fails in art class, encourage the child by saying something like “the reason these persons are successful is because they focus, if you really want to be like them, then you have to be focused. Focused people don’t fail but if they eventually do, they quickly retrace their steps”. In speaking, teach them that fluency is key and that knowledge is power therefore it would enable them to speak with authority, while doing this remind them that they should speak less and listen more. They should also know that anything they do is worth doing well, success is not built in a day, it takes a process and starts when the kids are young.
3. Causes Loneliness:
When children are not being attended to, it makes them withdraw from the world gradually, not finding importance in existence, they may become drug addicts, cultist or cold and withdrawn, might have great ideas and prefer to bottle it up because they feel it is not relevant enough to share, this may lead to depression.
Explain to them that when they are mocked at, they should take it up as a challenge to improve themselves and the reason people condemn them at times is that they feel threatened that they may be better than them.
Thank you ma for sharing.