We are going to offer you, now, within the Maternity and Paternity Course, some Additional tips to increase and boost children's self-esteem.
Investigating this issue I have also been talking with some professionals and experts and I want to highlight something that the psychologist Mónica Álvarez has told me, whom we have already interviewed in Babies and more in the past.
I believe that if we teach children that to know what their responsibility is and what is that of the other when they have to become aware of their mistakes, they will be happy. It is not so much what we tell them, but what they see that we do. It is important to change our own parenting patterns, to convey to them healthier and more coherent ones.
The home, that shelter
I reiterate the importance of home and family so that the child can develop good self-esteem. Not being subjected to violence or observing it is essential, but more than that, it is important that you perceive your home as that safe and full of love and respect where it is always heard.
For that reason there are two issues that we must address, the first, indispensable, that of learning to master our anger and negative comments, not using blackmail, not hitting or shouting, and, in general, being available and attentive to emotional needs of the children making them grow up knowing that they are valued and that there is a place in the world where they will always be welcomed with love.
Learn to treat children with the same respect we expect Any human being is a good way to start.
Our responsibility as parents is that of learn to be better parents. It is not enough to repeat guidelines taught to us, we must have the courage and make the effort to deepen the understanding of the child and its natural evolution and also it is necessary, if necessary (and we all need) to develop tools to control our bad habits
It is not that to be a father you have to study a career, but if you take the trouble to try to raise our children as best as possible.
We will be wrong, because we all make mistakes, but at least not being carried away by the current or custom is the minimum that children deserve and also a sign of the respect we have for our parents, that they will surely be proud that let's try to improve, although some find it hard to admit it or feel threatened if we don't do things as they did.
The second issue that concerns the environment in the home is the way we interact with adults. Even when there is a serious separation or difference of opinion, it would be very important to talk to each other and treat each other with respect, not insult or allow the child to witness conversations that he cannot understand.
Neither shouting, disrespect, nor harmful irony are behavior that benefits children to observe at all. In fact, if this occurs in living together, it must be the responsibility of the parents to avoid it and develop respectful ways to address your conflicts.
If we talk about serious situations it is essential to ask for help. A child who witnesses violence in his home is also a victim of violence.
Positive models
As I said, adults are the positive behavior model from which the child will learn the correct way to behave. That is why we must be aware of what we say and do, because they will be very attentive and will internalize our behaviors.
We cannot demand or expect our child to be respectful or have good self-esteem if the model we offer is not worthy of admiration or if we ourselves do not we respect and value each other.
Honey, positivity and optimism
Inside the home it is, as I said, very important that there is a safe and respectful environment, where the child can grow and develop fully. We will better fulfill our role showing affectionate with affectionate words and gestures, without denying listening and kissing, hugs and company that the child will ask us directly or indirectly.
Before his failures, mistakes and difficulties We will be the person of confidence in whom you can discharge your grief and who will encourage you, with optism and sincerity, so that you can improve and achieve your goals.
If we detect that the child expresses a negative self-image of himself and expresses that he feels silly, awkward or bad, we can, without denying the difficulty, help him see that what he says is not true and that we all improve with the effort, also valuing what he has done even if he has not achieved the full goal .
I leave for the next topic other issues, aspects and activities that will help us improve our children's self-esteem through responsibility and personal self-realization, so important for anyone to feel happy and confident.
