How to increase a child's self-esteem? Advice from a psychologist. Increasing self-esteem of a preschooler

The success of human life, in addition to objective circumstances, is also influenced by the level of self-esteem, which begins to form in the preschool period under the influence of the child’s environment, primarily parents. Self-esteem is a person’s assessment of his capabilities, qualities and place among other people.

A healthy atmosphere in the family, the desire to understand and support the child, sincere participation and empathy, a sense of psychological security - these are the components for the formation of positive adequate self-esteem in the child.

A child with high self-esteem may believe that he is right in everything. He strives to control other children, seeing their weaknesses, but not seeing his own, often interrupts, treats others down, and tries with all his might to attract attention to himself. From a child with high self-esteem you can hear: “I am the best.” With inflated self-esteem, children are often aggressive and belittle the achievements of other children.

If a child's self-esteem is low , most likely he is anxious and unsure of his own abilities. Such a child always thinks that he will be deceived, offended, underestimated, always expects the worst, and builds a defensive wall of mistrust around himself. He strives for solitude, is touchy, and indecisive. Such children adapt poorly to new conditions. When performing any task, they are set up for failure, finding insurmountable obstacles. Children with low self-esteem often refuse new activities for fear of failure, overestimate the achievements of other children and do not attach importance to their own successes.

Low, negative self-esteem in a child is extremely unfavorable for the full development of the individual. Such children are in danger of developing the attitude “I am bad”, “I can’t do anything”, “I am a loser”.

With adequate self-esteem, the child creates around himself an atmosphere of honesty, responsibility, compassion and love. He feels valued and respected. He believes in himself, although he is able to ask for help, is able to make decisions, and can admit that there are mistakes in his work. He values himself, and therefore is ready to value those around him. Such a child has no barriers that prevent him from experiencing a variety of feelings towards himself and others. He accepts himself and others as they are.

If you praise, then it’s right

Of great importance in the formation of a child’s self-esteem is the interested attitude of an adult, approval, praise, support and encouragement - they stimulate the child’s activities and form moral habits of behavior.
Physiologist D.V. Kolesov O. If a child does not receive timely approval during an activity, he develops a feeling of insecurity. However, you also need to praise correctly! Understanding how important praise is for a child, it must be used very skillfully. Vladimir Levi, author of the book “The Non-Standard Child,” believes that there is no need to praise a child in the following cases:

For what was not achieved through one’s own labor - physical, mental or spiritual.
Beauty and health are not subject to praise All natural abilities as such , including good character.
Toys, things, clothes, random finds.
You can't praise out of pity.
Out of a desire to please.

How high self-esteem helps in life

An adequate attitude towards oneself helps a lot not only in childhood, but also in adulthood. When a person loves himself, he does not need to constantly prove his importance to others, fight for their attention and love.

People with fairly high self-esteem listen to their true desires and are less dependent on the opinions of others. They feel worthy of the best, and this gives them the strength and motivation to strive to achieve their goals.

It's nice to communicate with such people. They attract people because they know how to build relationships with others - business, family, friendship. Communication with a confident person benefits those around him.

High self-esteem helps you better endure adversity and life’s difficulties, and deal with problems and troubles more easily. However, it needs to be formed from childhood. If a child grows up with a negative perception of himself, then it is quite difficult to correct this in adulthood. Therefore, it is very important to raise a self-confident individual with an adequate attitude towards his abilities and capabilities.

Praise and encouragement: for what?

It is important to remember that absolutely all children are talented in their own way. Parents should be more attentive to their children in order to find the talent inherent in the child and develop it. It is important to encourage any child's desire for self-expression and development . Under no circumstances should you tell a child that he will not become a great singer, dancer, etc. With such phrases, you not only discourage a child from wanting to do anything, but also deprive him of self-confidence, lower his self-esteem, and reduce motivation.
Be sure to praise your children for any achievements : for good grades at school, for winning sports competitions, for a beautiful drawing.
One of the methods of praise can be an advance , or praise for what will happen. Approval in advance will instill in the child faith in himself and his strength: “You can do this!” “You can almost do it!”, “You can definitely do it!”, “I believe in you!”, “You will succeed!” etc. Praising a child in the morning is an advance for the whole long and difficult day.

Vladimir Levi advises remembering the child’s suggestibility. If you say: “Nothing will ever come of you!”, “You are incorrigible, you have only one road (to prison, to the police, to an orphanage, etc.)” - then don’t be surprised if this happens. After all, this is a real direct suggestion , and it works. The child may believe in your attitudes.

Techniques for increasing a child’s self-esteem:

Ask for advice as an equal or elder. Be sure to follow the child’s advice, even if it is far from the best, since the educational result is more important than any other.
Ask for help as a peer or elder.
There are moments when an all-powerful adult needs to be a junior - weak, dependent, helpless, defenseless... from a child!

Already at the age of 5-7, this technique, used from time to time, can give miraculous results. And especially with a teenager, in a mother-son relationship - if you want to raise a real man.

One effective exercise

Experts suggest performing an effective exercise with your child, which can be used for both diagnosis and correction.
The purpose of this lesson is to develop healthy self-esteem, correct the child’s inadequate perception of his own personality, and increase self-confidence. Necessary materials:

paper sheet;
markers, felt-tip pens or colored pencils.

Recommended age:

senior preschool and junior school.

How to increase your child's self-esteem? Children are asked to depict the sun with rays. In this case, there is no need to put forward any requirements for the image and limit the child to any conditions. Let him simply draw the sun on the sheet using pencils or markers of any color.

Then the child is asked to tell a little about the sun:

-What sun?

– Beautiful, warm, cheerful, bright, very kind.

- Let's imagine that the sun is you. His name is the same as yours.

The child signs (if he already knows how to read and write) his name in the sun. If he does not yet have the skill of writing, then the name is signed by the parent.

The sun should have rays depicted. If there are few of them, then the parent needs to draw several rays himself (up to nine pieces).

– You talked about how good the sun is. Label each ray of sunshine, naming your good character quality. What are you like?

Most likely, the baby will not answer immediately, because not every adult will be able to praise himself like that, offhand. So you need to help the child by naming his strengths. For example: “I think you are smart and kind. Please continue, what else are you?”

Photo: https://pixabay.com/photos/sun-children-drawing-image-drawing-451441/ Each characteristic must be signed along the beam. Make sure that each ray is labeled. Even let the child boast, fantasize, attribute to himself a quality that he does not have (or is not sufficiently developed). And vice versa, you should not insist if some character trait is not named.

The sheet with the sun is hung on the closet door, and after some time they return to this drawing, completing the drawing and adding new rays. In this simple way, of course, if the conditions described above are met and the advice is followed, it will be possible to change the child’s opinion about himself for the better.

Punishments: rules for parents

Not only encouragement, but also punishment plays an important role in the formation of self-esteem. When punishing a child, you should follow a number of recommendations.

Punishment should not harm health - neither physical nor psychological. Moreover, punishment must be useful.
If there is any doubt whether to punish or not to punish, do not punish . Even if they have already realized that they are usually too soft and indecisive. No "prevention".
At one time - about the bottom of the punishment . The punishment can be severe, but only one, for everything at once.
Punishment is not at the expense of love . Whatever happens, do not deprive your child of your warmth.
Never take away things given by you or anyone else - ever!
You can cancel the punishment . Even if he acts so outrageously that it couldn’t be worse, even if he just yelled at you, but at the same time today he helped the sick or protected the weak. Don't forget to explain to your child why you did this.
It is better not to punish than to punish belatedly. Belated punishments instill in the child the past and prevent him from becoming different.
Punished - forgiven . If the incident is over, try not to remember the “old sins.” Don't bother me to start living again. By remembering the past, you risk creating in your child a feeling of “eternal guilt.”
No humiliation . If the child believes that we are unfair, punishment will have the opposite effect.

Techniques for normalizing a child’s high self-esteem:

Teach your child to listen to the opinions of people around him.
Take criticism calmly, without aggression.
Teach to respect the feelings and desires of other children, as they are just as important as your own feelings and desires.

We do not punish:

If the child feels unwell or is sick.
When a child eats, after sleep, before bed, during play, while working.
Immediately after mental or physical trauma.
When a child cannot cope with fear, with inattention, with mobility, with irritability, with any shortcoming, making sincere efforts. And in all cases when something doesn’t work out.
When the internal motives of an action are unclear to us.
When we ourselves are not ourselves, when we are tired, upset or irritated for some reason...

What is self-esteem

In psychological science and practice, self-esteem is understood as the entire diversity of a person’s ideas about his own personality, which arises as a result of constant comparison of himself with other people.
Attitude towards oneself plays one of the leading roles in the development of the self-concept. Self-esteem is considered a fairly stable psychological construct. It changes throughout life, but does not depend on a specific situation. On the contrary, the prevailing self-image determines the attitude in each specific case.

Let's give simple examples.

A girl who highly values her personal qualities, in case of failure, will most likely say: “How could I be so stupid. This kind of behavior is uncharacteristic for me.” And quickly get rid of unpleasant thoughts from your head.
A girl with a low opinion of herself will think: “God, what a loser I am. I never succeed.” She will experience her failure for a long time and “chew” unpleasant emotions.

Psychologists traditionally distinguish 2 types of self-esteem: adequate and inadequate. The first option is also called optimal, since a person really evaluates his abilities, skills, personal qualities and character traits. At the same time, he sees both his shortcomings and his advantages.

There are 2 types of inadequate self-perception: underestimated and overestimated. However, the level of inadequacy may vary. A slightly high or low self-esteem usually does not interfere with living and communicating with other people. It’s another matter if a teenager has low self-esteem, which makes it difficult to communicate with peers and threatens serious problems in the future.

To develop adequate self-esteem in a child

Don’t protect your child from everyday affairs, don’t try to solve all his problems for him, but don’t overload him either. Let your child help with the cleaning, enjoy the work done and receive well-deserved praise. Set feasible tasks for your child so that he can feel skillful and useful.
Don't overpraise your child, but don't forget to reward him when he deserves it.
Remember that to form adequate self-esteem, both praise and punishment must also be adequate.
Encourage initiative in your child.
Show by your example the adequacy of your attitude towards successes and failures. Compare: “Mom’s pie didn’t turn out well - well, that’s okay, next time we’ll put more flour.” Or: “Horror! The pie didn't work out! I will never bake again!”
Don't compare your child to other children. Compare him with himself (what he was yesterday or will be tomorrow).
Scold for specific actions, not in general.
Remember that negative feedback is the enemy of interest and creativity.
Analyze his failures together with your child, drawing the right conclusions. You can tell him something using your example, so the child will feel an atmosphere of trust and understand that you are closer to him.
Try to accept your child for who he is.

Summarizing…

Low self-esteem in adolescents negatively affects their position in society and can cause isolation, misunderstanding, and conflicts in the family and in the team. An inferiority complex prevents children from developing and achieving their goals.

The child needs to be helped to form a positive opinion about himself. A teenager must understand that he is loved, valued, and respected. This will help you adapt to difficult social conditions, not lose yourself and move on to success. With low self-esteem, a teenager begins to find obstacles everywhere and see negativity where there is none.

If you are faced with the problem of low self-esteem in a teenager and understand that you need help to overcome it, you can turn to psychologists at our Center for help. The studio of practical psychology "Empathy" has been specializing in psychological assistance and support for adolescents for many years. Our group classes are designed in such a way as to help a teenager find himself and become more confident in this difficult period of life. MORE DETAILS

You can also sign up for an individual consultation with a psychologist. MORE.

Games and tests

I suggest you get acquainted with some games that will help determine the type of self-esteem of your child, as well as form and maintain an adequate level of self-esteem in him.

Test "Ladder" ("Ten steps")

This test is used from 3 years of age.

Draw on a piece of paper or cut out a ladder of 10 steps. Now show it to the child and explain that on the lowest step there are the worst (angry, envious, etc.) boys and girls, on the second step - a little better, on the third even better, and so on. But at the very top step are the smartest (good, kind) boys and girls. It is important that the child correctly understands the location on the steps; you can ask him about this.

Now ask: on what step would he stand ? Let him draw himself on this step or put a doll. Now you have completed the task, all that remains is to draw conclusions.

If a child places himself on the first, 2nd, or 3rd steps from the bottom, then he has low self-esteem .

If it’s 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, then average (adequate) .

And if it is on the 8th, 9th, 10th, then self-esteem is too high .

Attention: in preschoolers, self-esteem is considered too high if the child constantly puts himself at the 10th level.

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“Name” (N.V. Klyueva, N.V. Kasatkina)

This game can provide additional information about a child's self-esteem.

You can invite your child to come up with a name that he would like to have, or leave his own. Ask why he doesn't like or like his name, why he would like to be called differently. This game can provide additional information about your baby's self-esteem. After all, often giving up one’s name means that the child is dissatisfied with himself or wants to be better than he is now.

“Playing out situations” (N.V. Klyueva, Yu.V. Kasatkina)

The child is offered situations in which he must portray himself. Situations can be different, invented or taken from life. Other roles during the enactment are performed by one of the parents or other children. Sometimes it is useful to switch roles. Example situations:

You took part in the competition and took first place, and your friend was almost last. He was very upset. Help him calm down.
Mom brought 3 oranges for you and your sister (brother). How will you divide them? Why?
The guys from your group in kindergarten are playing an interesting game, and you are late, the game has already started. Ask to be accepted into the game. What will you do if the children don't want to accept you? (This game will help your child learn effective behavior patterns and use them in real life.)

Try to be more attentive to your children, encourage and praise them, spend more time together, and you will help your baby become happier, fill his life with bright colors. I believe in you!

Adviсe

Be patient. The path to improving self-esteem in children can be long. The main thing is to start moving in the right direction now.
Analyze your situation. Think about what exactly could have aggravated the child’s condition, what provoked self-doubt. Perhaps this is due to improper upbringing, frequent reproaches, reproaches, lack of praise, comparison with others. And then, before moving on, you need to rebuild yourself, change your attitude, and henceforth avoid actions that lower the child’s self-esteem.
If your parents have problems with self-esteem, start with yourself first. Remember that your toddler can copy your behavior. Seeing how the father gives up at the slightest failure, and even declares out loud that he is not capable of anything, the child himself begins to react in a similar way to what is happening in his life.
It is important to take care of a healthy atmosphere in the family. A child should grow up in a calm environment, in a home where parents treat each other and their child with respect.
Start praising your child. But remember that praise must be deserved, for real achievements, even the most insignificant ones. It is important for a child to feel that they believe in him, that his loved ones are proud of him.
Try to spend more time communicating with your son or daughter. Mom needs to communicate more often with her daughter, dad – with his son. It’s ideal if you manage to find something that will interest both an adult and a child, a common hobby that will bring pleasure and self-confidence to everyone.
Plan your child’s daily routine, try to properly allocate time for study, rest, entertainment, and physical activity.
Always ask your son or daughter for their opinion on any issue that arises in your family. Let your child feel that his word means something, that he is taken into account and valued.
Think about what your baby’s strengths are and promote their development. When a child sees the fruits of his efforts, he will begin to believe in his success.
Give your baby freedom of choice. If you think he might make a mistake, don't stop him from doing so. These are his “bumps” that he must fill for experience.
Teach your child to defend his boundaries.
Allow your child to cope with the tasks on his own; do not rush to complete the task for him or suggest something.