Activities in building self-esteem in children

Self-esteem and identity of the self is one of the most important aspects of character building that any parent is worried about when raising a child. This is not an easy task considering the fact that a parent has to strike the right balance between guiding their kids to make the right decisions and providing them with enough freedom to act on their own instincts. Excessive freedom can lead to spoilt behaviour whereas too much of sternness can give rise to rebellion or over dependence. So it is vital that the self-esteem issues be looked at from an early age so that the child grows up with self-confidence and poise.
Self-affirming statements
It might seem awkward and too dramatic and act for a grown up if one is asked to stand in front of a mirror and talking to oneself, but this might be quite interesting for a child. This is a very effective way of self-assuring one’s self-esteem. You can encourage the child to say self-affirming statements either in front of the mirror or even just aloud. The statement can be a kind of a mantra of self-affirmation. The mantra should be easy to remember and something which appeals to the chid, for instance you can tell your child that you love them and will be there for him if needed. This is a matter of personal choice. There is no rule to what you can or cannot use, simply make sure that it helps in confidence building.
The positive trait game
Another approach, that is helpful in enhancing not only the child’s self-esteem but also improving her vocabulary, is the positive traits game. This game entails you to express to each other what you think is the positive character traits in the other person but the word describing the trait has to start with a definite letter. This game is a brilliant way of letting your child know what are his strong traits, this will help him boost his self-esteem. This way your child will know what areas he can focus on improving further.
Do activities that they love
One of the most effective ways to boost self-confidence in children is to make them aware of their strengths and positive traits through activities that they like. If they get involved in sports, competitions etc that require the use of various faculties and they succeed it will give them a higher confidence because of the sense of achievement. So encourage your child to take part in extra-curricular and vocational activities. They might not like them for a long time or might lose interest in the long run, but they will definitely learn something useful and that will show in their confidence. You have to remember that kids will respond best to something that they enjoy doing rather than something that might seem like a task to them. The right boost to their self-esteem will not only lead to better performance but will also have a positive effect on their social life.