9 Ways to Boost Self Esteem in Children

1. Be aware of how you speak to your child. Rather then telling them what to do, encourage them positively. Respect them and regularly re-affirm you belief in them. Speak to your child how you like to be spoken to and make them feel like what they think counts.

2. Affirm each achievement your child has. Encourage them to build on their progress. Affirm how clever and intelligent they are and that they have the ability to work things out. Then, when they face another challenge you can remind them that they have faced situations in the past successfully and can do so again.

3. Encourage your child's imagination. Spend time with them, making up stories and adventures. Allow them to play different roles, so they can learn creative ways of overcoming problems while having fun. This will also assist them to look at situations from different perspectives.

4. Help your child to feel safe and supported. Children need to know that someone is available for them. They need to feel like they are important and valuable human beings and that if they need support they can easily turn to someone who will listen and believe them.

5. Give your child a task to do. For example, encourage them to clean their room. First show them what you would like done by doing it with them, then the next time ask them to do it themselves. After they have done something, make sure you look at the task and let them know what a wonderful job they have done. If they feel you value their efforts they will be proud of themselves and likely to do it again.

6. Teach your child to appreciate themselves. You can do that by telling them, 'You are a lovable child, You have a great imagination, I'm proud of you.' Make sure that you also give them regular hugs and kisses, so that they feel loved. If they love themselves they will also be more willing to love others and see the best in them.

7. Be willing to explain why you want your child to do something. Just like with adults, if a child understands the reason for something, even if they don't like it, they start to feel that you are saying something for a purpose, not just to restrict them.

8. Honor your child's games. For example, many children enjoy doing the opposite to what they are asked, or saying the opposite comment to what you are saying. Once you recognise what they are doing is a game and they are not doing it to upset you, you can join in the fun.

9. Recognise who they are as well as what they do. If your child does something that you do not approve of you can point out that you do not like their behavior, but that you still love them and believe they are great.

By Inna Segal © 2005

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Inna Segal the creator of Inner Kiss™ can intuitively see into your body and tell you what is occurring. Are you ready to release, limitation, pain, stress, disease and disorder? Feel great, look great and increase your prosperity! Inna is available for distance healings, and has a range of CDs which will make you feel healthier, look younger, become wealthier and happier. Inna has appeared in Womans Day, New Idea, Sunrise and many other publications. Visit www.innerkiss.com