Totally approachable and down to earth, with forever a cheerful smile; that is Niru Agarwal, Trustee, Greenwood High School. Quite early in life, her leadership qualities were there for all to see, which found their true manifestation in her emergence as an entrepreneur par excellence, with a vision for the betterment of the society. Under her stewardship & unique approach to education, Greenwood High School has reached newer heights of excellence in moulding the young minds of tomorrow. Niru Agarwal is also the interface for the Group’s social commitments and welfare schemes and has been a prominent fixture in various charitable organisations.
A positive self-image is a basic ingredient for a happy, successful and confident life. Our self-image dictates how we react emotionally, socially and spiritually to the different situations and people in our lives. A good sense of self-esteem is extremely vital for everyone, including children, as it enables them to face up to society with great self-confidence. Social interactions would be easier, and you can achieve any task, be more resilient, and be able to cope with challenges if you have self-esteem. It helps children stay positive and optimistic, feel happy and confident around other kids. So, let us understand how to build self-esteem among children:
Set aside time for interaction
Kids always feel worthwhile and important when you show them they’re your priority. Show your child how much they usually mean to you by making time for them. Always set aside regular blocks of time to spend quality time with your child. Keep in mind that regular, shorter blocks of time are more meaningful than occasional longer blocks of time.
Give children choices
A key component of self-esteem is having the feeling of being in control of a situation. If you want your child to do something, don’t just instruct them. Influence them in such a way that they feel like doing so is their choice. Making a choice will help them feel in control and develop an ability to differentiate. Success, even in small things is a great tool to develop self-esteem.
Develop independent spirit in your child
When your child is always able to do something without your help, they feel a sense of achievement and accomplishment and their self-esteem grows. Your parental instinct will also make you want to jump in and help when your child is struggling with something, but hang back and give your child the opportunity to finish the task by themselves.
Allow your child to master new skills
Mastering new skills will always help build your child’s self-esteem and help them have the confidence to try out new things. Encourage your child’s involvement in extra-curricular activities and help them to find things that they may be good at. When your child does well, showcase their achievements, but always praise their effort and participation over achievement.
Help children build resilience
The ability to face failure and keep moving ahead is another important aspect of high self-esteem. When your child loses a game or does badly in a test, do not overtly and harshly criticise them. It is important not to make statements to your child that they are not intelligent or are badly behaved. Do not make them feel that their overall capabilities are deficient. Instead, ask them what they plan to do to succeed the next time and suggest to them how they should improve.
Push the inner potential of your child
Parents should help their children by making a list of all things they’re good at and all of their positive qualities and keep the list somewhere visible. Always ask family and friends to write down five of your child’s positive qualities or strengths and add these to the list. This will definitely boost the child’s self-esteem when compared to negative reviews of your child’s abilities.
Importance of emotional quotient
A positive self-image leads to self-esteem, which is a must to achieve success. It is a key ingredient for happiness, which develops into a formidable weapon later in life, helping us deal effectively with circumstances. Apart from the child’s intelligence quotient, the child’s emotional quotient is crucial in developing a strong self-image. Children need to feel good about themselves and successful in whatever task they undertake.
How school plays an important role
An environment of minimal punishment, preventive and positive discipline augurs well for the development of self-esteem. Students learn at different paces, and our instruction should cater to these different paced learners. Failure can cause a severe dent to their psyche and hence should be avoided. Students should be made responsible for their learning pace.
In conclusion, it can be said that it is obvious that having high self-esteem is the key to achieving any form of success in this world. Children with low self-esteem may have goals, but do not have the belief that they are worthy and will make less effort to achieve those goals. To avoid this, it is necessary to work towards a pragmatic and positive learning paradigm among children.