As a parent, there’s nothing more important than seeing your child grow and thrive. One of the most important aspects of healthy development is a strong sense of self-esteem. Here are some tips on how to help build your toddler’s self-esteem:
Praise Your Child’s Accomplishments
No matter how small, every accomplishment deserves praise. When your child masters a new skill, or even just manages to clean up their room without help, be sure to let them know how proud you are. This will help them feel good about themselves and give them the confidence to try new things.
Give Positive Reinforcement
Not only should you praise your child for their accomplishments, you should also give them plenty of positive reinforcement in general. Let them know that you love and value them, no matter what. This will help them feel good about themselves, regardless of their achievements or failures.
Never Put Them Down
It’s very important not to put your child down, even in a joking way. This can damage their self-esteem and make them feel like they’re not good enough. If you need to criticize them, do it in a constructive way that will help them learn from their mistakes.
Help Them Build Healthy Relationships
One of the best ways to build self-esteem is to have healthy relationships with others. Encourage your child to play and interact with other kids, and teach them how to be respectful and kind. This will help them develop strong social skills and a positive sense of self.
Set Goals
Articulating goals, large and small, and achieving them makes kids feel strong. Help your child turn desires and dreams into actionable goals by encouraging them to make a list of things they’d like to accomplish. Then, practice breaking down longer-term goals into realistic benchmarks. You’ll be validating their interests and helping them learn the skills they’ll need to attain their goals throughout life.
Expect Them to Pitch In
They might complain, but kids feel more connected and valued when they’re counted on to do age-appropriate jobs, from picking up toys to doing dishes to picking up younger siblings from a play date. Homework and after-school activities are great, but being needed by your family is invaluable.
Resist comparisons
Avoid making comments such as, “Why can’t you be nice like Olivia?” These kinds of remarks just make your preschooler feel bad about himself. Even positive comparisons – like telling your child he’s the best at something – are potentially damaging because a child can find it hard to live up to this image.
If you let your child know you appreciate him for the unique individual he is, rather than how he measures up to others, he’ll be more likely to value himself too.
Offer choices
For a 2-year-old, letting her choose between two possibilities is a good rule of thumb. (At this age, too many options can be overwhelming.) For instance, ask her whether she wants to wear her red shirt or the yellow one, or if she wants oatmeal or cold cereal for breakfast.
A 3- or 4-year-old can handle more choices, and letting her know that you trust her judgment boosts her sense of self-worth.
Let Them Be Themselves
The most important thing you can do for your child’s self-esteem is to let them be themselves. Don’t try to force them into a mold or make them feel like they have to meet certain standards. Encourage them to explore their interests and be proud of who they are.
Building your toddler’s self-esteem is an important job, but it’s one that you can definitely handle. Just use these tips as a starting point, and continue to show your child how much you love and value them. They’ll appreciate it more than you can imagine.