Self Esteem Activities for Kids

Stephanie Martson, in her book 'The Magic of Encouragement', has penned her thoughts on the importance of self esteem, which goes like this - "Self-esteem is the real magic wand that can form a child's future. A child's self-esteem affects every area of her existence, from friends she chooses, to how well she does academically in school, to what kind of job she gets, to even the person she chooses to marry."

What is Self Esteem?

Self esteem, also known as self pride, is a feeling of pride towards oneself. For a person to become independent and a confident individual it is necessary for him to have high self esteem. A person's self esteem is said to develop from his experiences from the time he learns to understand the world around him. A person with a high self esteem will not only feel good about himself and his achievements, but would also know and accept his own shortcomings and faults. On the other hand, people who have a low self esteem do not have confidence on their own capabilities and are most likely to put the blame of their faults on others. Self esteem goes a long way in positive child development.

The major responsibility of imbibing high self esteem into children is of parents and other caregivers. It is the parents that kids look up to. Children whose parents love and accept them as they are grow up to become individuals with high self esteem. However, there are some parents who tend to show irritation, anger and disappointment towards their children for all the things they do, giving rise to individuals with low self esteem. The most crucial thing that parents have to do to build self esteem in children is to appreciate and encourage them in the things that they do. There are also certain self esteem activities for kids that help in building high self esteem of children.

Self Esteem Activities for Children

As we have seen, self esteem plays a big part in the overall development of a child. Let us discuss a few simple but effective activities for improving self esteem in children.

Household Chores: Many people must have observed that children love to help their parents at home. However, most parents do not like kids to help them because of the fear that they may get hurt or make the place messy. However, experts are of the opinion that involving children in doing some household chores would help in developing their self esteem. The tasks for them can involve things like laying the table for dinner, cleaning their room, picking up their toys after playing, making their bed, cleaning the car, watering the plants, etc. Children would surely love doing these activities and their enjoyment would be doubled when they receive their parents appreciation. This also aids in inculcating good behavior and habits in children. Doing things like paying the bills, doing grocery shopping, etc., are also good self esteem activities for adolescents, as these would help them in becoming responsible individuals.

The Game of Compliments: This game of compliments should be played with a group of kids, hence, would be a perfect game to be played at school. Count the total number of children present in the class, give the children that many pieces of paper and ask them to write the name of each child. After this, ask them to write good qualities that they can think about others under those names. Once everyone has finished, the teacher should collect all the papers and read them to the whole class. Children will really enjoy listening to what others have said about them. Learning about the good things that their peers think about them would help in improving their self esteem.

Interests: Every child has a talent and interest for some kind of activity or another. It can either be sports or arts like painting, dancing, etc. If your kid seems to be interested in basketball, enroll him in a basketball class where he can master his interests. If your three year old daughter has started making figures and shapes on the walls, provide her with colors and pencils and let her explore her talent. These would be great activities for building self esteem for boys as well as girls. Praise them for all the efforts they take, and this will surely boost up their confidence.

One of the main reasons for children to acquire low self esteem is because parents tend to compare them with other kids of their age. It would be beneficial if parents avoid doing this, because this can lead them to lose their confidence and make them feel worthless too. Some of the best things that children expect from their parents and other elders are their love and appreciation. It is also necessary to have an open conversation with children about their experiences at school and when they are with their friends. This is important because all these make an impact on kids and affect their self esteem. With the help of self esteem activities for kids, parents can help in developing their self confidence and prepare them to face challenges that life has in store for them.