One of your most important responsibilities as a parent is to nurture your child’s self-esteem. Healthy self-esteem is crucial to a child’s emotional development and mental health into adulthood. Building healthy self-esteem helps a child successfully navigate social and behavioral challenges, and it remains a firm foundation for a satisfying life.
Self-esteem is sometimes called self-respect. It plays an essential role in children’s enjoyment of school and connections with their peers. Studies show that people with a low sense of self-worth are more likely to suffer depression and anxiety and lack self-confidence.
A child’s self-esteem builds over time, like essential scaffolding in the building blocks of their emotional and mental development. Kids with low self-esteem tend to overreact to failure and criticism.
Psychologists suggest that the best way to impact self-respect is to make children feel loved and accepted. Every child has different needs, but here are some solid child self-esteem activities to help parents and teachers to build up the children in their care.
Children can develop low self-esteem from bullying, unhealthy habits, as well as from mental and physical challenges which can limit them from reaching their full potential.
Dennis Delois
Child Self-Esteem Activities: Emotional Reinforcement
Self-esteem is how we feel about ourselves. When a child learns a new skill, takes on a physical challenge, or makes a new friend, it presents an opportunity for self-esteem growth.
You can support self-esteem development by praising new skills, acknowledging feelings, and focusing on your child’s strengths. Kids that feel ownership in their lives tend to have higher self-esteem and take responsibility for their own development.
Empower your child and foster self-esteem by:
- Paying attention and validating their feelings and thoughts
- Encouraging opportunities that promote success or satisfaction
- Supporting activities that give your children a sense of control over their lives
- Praising, but not sensationalizing, accomplishments
- Focusing on correcting behavior, not criticizing it
- Helping your child learn new skills
- Giving your child responsibilities with clearly defined expectations
- Telling your child that they’re loved and capable, even after a mistake
- Positively reinforcing healthy behavior
- Granting your child the freedom and flexibility to fail within a safe environment
Other Child Self-Esteem Activities: Physical Confidence
Your child’s physical confidence also plays an essential role in self-esteem. The RevUp Program strengthens mental motor skills and self-esteem through fun activities. Parents can help their kids overcome emotional and physical challenges by participating in these child self-esteem activities.
Through the RevUp Program, a parent and child perform five activities twice a week. Each activity is available at no cost online and takes no more than three minutes for physical and emotional benefits.
Some of the self-esteem activities include:
- Carioca improves balance, coordination, and concentration
- Jump rope improves posture, endurance, and balance
- Backward walking strengthens balance, control, and coordination
- Speed bag helps hand-eye coordination, timing, and muscle movement
- Pull up increases shoulder, back, and hand strength and improves posture
Give Your Child the Gift of Self-Esteem
Providing your child with a solid foundation of self-worth helps them foster healthy relationships and meet challenges. Engaging in these activities also demonstrates that you like spending time with them. Your attention nurtures confidence while your child builds social, emotional, and motor skills.
RevUp is for parents who want to maximize their child’s potential. We are based in Jupiter, FL, but offer free access to child self-esteem activities online.
Learn how you can support RevUp’s programs through donations, sponsorships, or volunteering by emailing or calling 561-358-7730.