A child's self-esteem is based on how he feels and what he believes about himself, according to the Kids Health website. Building your child's self-esteem can help hm to better handle peer pressure and cope with difficult situations in life. Parents, grandparents and other significant adults in a child's life play a role in developing his self-esteem. Through your actions and conversations with your child, you can either boost his self-esteem or lower it.
Step 1
Evaluate your own self-esteem level and how you present yourself. According to the Kids Health website, if you are too hard on yourself or generally pessimistic, that might rub off onto your child.
Step 2
Establish a safe home environment based on unconditional love. This provides your child with a sense of security that allows him to maintain a high self-esteem. Avoid fighting with your spouse, which may lead to depression in your child, according to Kids Health.
Step 3
Show your child affection through hugs, praise and other loving gestures. Give your child sincere and honest feedback, focusing on her efforts in addition to her accomplishments. Avoid falsely boosting her self-esteem with insincere praise; kids can pick up on your insincerity, according to Kids Health.
Step 4
Avoid pointing out your child's flaws, even in a joking manner. This can reinforce negative feelings your child already has about the flaw.
Step 5
Take a sincere interest in your child's activities and interests. Stop what you are doing to actively listen to your child when he talks about an accomplishment or a problem he's facing.
Step 6
Encourage your child to participate in positive, enriching activities, such as sports, the arts or clubs. This helps your child feel a sense of accomplishment and might help her find a new talent or interest.
Step 7
Help your child be realistic about himself. A child might set exceptionally high standards for himself or feel that he is incapable if he fails at something one time. According to Kids Health, you should help your child find goals that are attainable.
Step 8
Discipline your child in a constructive manner. Try redirecting your child when she misbehaves. Reinforce appropriate behaviors she exhibits to encourage her to continue those behaviors. According to The National Network for Child Care, you should focusing on the negative aspect of the behavior itself rather than calling the child naughty.
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