Developing Emotional Intelligence (EI) helps to build healthy self-esteem in our children. Self-Esteem is reflected in how we see ourselves, the feelings we have towards who we are and the level of positivity we have about ourselves. These perspectives can have a significant impact on a child’s journey in life and the paths they take.
Having a healthy level of self-esteem can contribute towards confidence, capability, achievement, and healthy relationships. Healthy self-esteem can support positive parenting and develop responsible and accountable human beings. Striking a balance between a positive self-esteem and a bloated ego is the sweet spot for your child.
Having low Self-esteem can hold people back in life, as they are less likely to try new things and form healthy relationships. When self-esteem is too low it can create feelings of wanting to withdraw, not feeling worthy to take on challenges, form relationships or work towards goals. A low self-esteem can appear as a lack of self-respect and feelings of unworthiness. This can contribute to negative situations, and sometimes lead to mental health issues.
Reflecting on how we see ourselves and why we see ourselves that way can improve our self-esteem.We can go through life over-reacting or not reacting at all to situations because of the way we see ourselves. What we do can be directly attached to our level of self-esteem. It is therefore important to self-reflect and interrupt our thought patterns when they don’t help us. To become aware is a first step towards enabling change.
Reflecting on how we see ourselves can help us to review our lives and take positive steps towards new ways that will help us to thrive. The same can be done to support children.
If this is a new area for you, try journaling about yourself to understand your level of self-esteem We start our journey in childhood, building and developing our skills, and our understanding of ourselves. By using the evidence from our achievements, positive feedback, and secure relationships, we can become more comfortable in our skin and confident in moving forward in life. These are important inputs for our children as they develop to ensure them healthy self-esteem.
Many situations can influence and harm how we see ourselves, but when we become aware of why we see ourselves in such a way, we can learn to accept who we are, like meeting ourselves for the first time.
Tips on how to strengthen your self-esteem:
- Avoid comparing yourself to others
- Be kind to yourself
- Self-care and relaxation
- Acknowledge your successes
- Challenge your thoughts
- Build assertive skills
- Challenge negative thoughts or beliefs about yourself
- Take breaks to recharge
- Take small steps towards your goals
- Remember, nobody is perfect.
