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Supporting the Development of Self-Esteem

Supporting the Development of Self-Esteem
photo by: juhansonin
By N. Close
Pearson Allyn Bacon Prentice Hall

Spend a week watching children, and try to identify the observations that make you smile and think, "Everything is all right with that child." There will probably be observations in which the child is smiling and exuding a sense of mastery. Think of the child who has just learned to walk. All he wants to do is walk. His arms are outstretched, he is leaning over his feet a bit, and his feet move forward trying to keep up with his enthusiasm over his newfound power. Although he does not have the words to express what he is experiencing, he seems to be saying, "Look what I can do! Here I come world!" His enthusiasm is contagious and one cannot help but smile and take delight in this newly developed skill. Listen to toddlers who exclaim, "Me do!" or "Do again!" Watch toddlers insist on doing things for themselves. Watch them smile and jump up and down and even flap their hands when they complete a challenging task. Listen to preschoolers who say, "I can do it by myself." or "Watch and see how high I can pump on the swing." or "I think I can do the hard one." One can conclude from watching these children that they feel very good about themselves, and that they are on their way to building a powerful sense of self-esteem. Often, parents' major wish for their children is that they do develop a positive sense of themselves. A statement often echoed by parents is, "I just really want her to feel good about herself." How is it that some children develop a positive sense of themselves and others do not? How do you talk to young children so you have a sense of what they are feeling about themselves? How do you help young children to be realistic in their expectations for themselves as they experience their wishes and disappointments?

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