Written by Julia Gorham
Doing and thinking for young children will contribute to lowered self esteem and undermine their self-confidence. You will create opportunities for your child to develop a lot of self-doubt by sending messages showing that you do not think that they can do things correctly, or that they should not try because you beloved it is too difficult for them. Do not ignore the pleas of the young child “I can do it by myself”.
Children with high self esteem are those who are given the opportunity to be decision makers right from the very beginning of their lives.
Children need to take on responsibilities, rather than their parents doing things for them. They learn confidence by doing, not by watching someone else do it for them. They need to feel important, to take risks, to try new adventures and to know that you trust them, not so much to do something without error as to simply go out and give it an effort.
Children who learn early to be decision makers – to pick up their own clothes, to decide what to eat, to play with whom ever they choose, to be responsible without endangering themselves or others, learn very early to like themselves and feel positive about who they are. They begin very early to trust themselves with the daily age appropriate tasks that make them feel proud and worthwhile.
