Wonder Kids - Child care resources for parents and caregivers

Parents, you are not alone in these challenges. Schools, day care centers and community organizations are working along with the family to help children access self-esteem.

Recently an education specialist with the nation’s leading private provider of early childhood education and care for infants to 12-year-olds recommended the following:

• Caregivers need to consider their own self-esteem, and be willing to admit mistakes.
• Praise the efforts toward a goal, not just the results. If your child can get one arm in the sleeve, but not both, recognize it’s an accomplishment and he’s on the way to getting the whole coat on himself.
• Understand that each child is an individual, in different stages, from different cultures and family combinations.
• Provide opportunities to learn and feel proud. Let your child set the table or wrap a present, even if it’s not the way you would do it.
• Allow children to make decisions within parameters. They become empowered by choices. And let them know the logical consequences of their decisions. If they use up all the glue, a logical consequence is that there will be none on hand for the next project. It is not a logical consequence to take a child’s crayons away in punishment.
• If kids do something wrong, help them recognize that the behavior is harmful to themselves or others, but they are not bad, stupid or worthless. Don’t go on and on, because kids will tune you out. Remember that everyone makes mistakes.
• Praise rather than judge. Use body language like thumbs up and high-fives.
• Play with your kids. They feel lovable when you have a good time together.
• Talk. And listen. Respect them in conversation.
• “Catch them doing good.” Know what they did right or appropriately and comment on it.

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Tags: early childhood development, health and safety, self esteem

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