Children and teenagers suffering from low self-esteem have increased considerably over the past decade and have been well documented by psychologists. Many parents are concerned with this epidemic as a parent’s natural instinct is to ensure their children’s well-being comes first and foremost.
Children from a young age can already start developing low self esteem and this is due in part to parents that force their children to be competitive instead of allowing their child to develop their own character and personality at their own pace. Children will carry this low self-esteem through to their teenage years and in most instances through to adulthood, which can result in psychological as well as physical illnesses later in life.
Low self esteem in teenagers can be caused by a variety of factors such as competitiveness, high school peer pressure, acne, being overweight as well as academic parent pressure. Children can be really nasty and vindictive towards their peers; the thing that drives these bullies to participate in unwanted behavior is that they themselves are battling self-esteem demons of their own.
Children that have grown up in an abusive environment will inevitably carry the stigma of low self esteem through to their adulthood and one will note that these children also suffered during their school years as most were not achievers. As adults they normally do not “fit in” and as a result end up with ill health or revert to drugs, alcohol and possibly suicide as a solution to their problems.
When it comes to parenting the most important thing a parent can do is to provide a loving and nurturing home for their children and to create a foundation whereby their children can build confidence and self-esteem.
Think long-term; what future impact will your words that you say now have further down the track? Never tell a child that they are stupid or that they will never amount to anything in life as they will grow up believing this.
Love and accept your child for who they are because not all children will be little Einstein’s but they in turn will possess unique qualities that these little Einstein’s don’t have which they should be acknowledged and praised for in their own right.
Parents should not diminish the importance of a child’s learning years. Teach your children integrity, honesty and commitment in a loving manner and always lead by example. You are the best learning lesson for your children, your actions are just as important as your words. There are many books on parenting skills as well as workshops you can attend. If parents are balanced and exude confidence, your children will follow suit. Remember what I said? children come into this life unscathed and perfect, what they learn about life they learn from you this is why the first 5 years of their life are the most formative. Give them a strong foundation to grow from and you’re giving them a good start to life.
