Very Involved Parents (VIP)

The world outside from home is not an easy place. Many people cannot cope with the harsh realities of our world and give up. As parents, surely you do not wish for that person to be your child! As such, self esteem is important as it helps your children to bring themselves around in our world. There are many ways to help them build up their self esteem and at the same time, you can bond closer with your children.

Firstly, let your children take up some responsibilities at home for example, doing some house chores. Simple tasks like cleaning their own room or making their own bed are good as a kick start. Later, ask them to help around in the kitchen so that they can take care of themselves by preparing their own meals. Make them follow you on grocery trips so that they have a basic knowledge of things. More complicated chores like washing to car or gardening can be done too if you think they can handle these tasks. Remember, a sense of achievement upon task completion is very crucial for building their self esteem.

Besides handling simple tasks, hobbies can also contribute towards self esteem building. Artistic hobbies like drawing or coloring can be a way for them to express their creativity and be acknowledged. Pets are also ideal companions and building blocks as by taking care of their pets, they feel important as their pet needs them. Parents can create a pleasant environment for building self esteem by sticking positive and encouraging notes and posters around the house.

Other than normal activities, try your hand in more professional activities like sports or music. Sports can be a very strong point as it pushes them to give their best. By training and practicing often, they build up their confidence and self-esteem. Besides, playing sports also creates a healthy lifestyle. Music, on the other hand, is quite similar to sports as by performing, they have that sense of achievement and acknowledgement. The difference between these two is music is more indoors and is better suited for girls; whereas sports is more outdoors and will be better for boys.

Self esteem can also be built through exposure to different places and their cultures which can be gained by visiting places and meeting people from all walks of life. To achieve this, parents can plan a few family outings annually or let your children participate in school trips or join their friends and relatives.

A very important factor to building self esteem is the sense of achievement and acknowledgement. Parents can involve them in family discussions so that they feel important or compliment them when you see they are doing well or producing good results as this can boost their confidence.