Self-love is one of the bricks in the foundation for guarding against life’s constant ebbs and flows. A healthy sense of self-esteem helps us to recognize our self-worth; it also enables us to walk away from people or situations that we need to separate ourselves from.
Instilling this principle in the youth is imperative especially at a younger age when they are still developing the thoughts and attitudes that will shape their lives as adults.
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Praise but set the bar high
Boosting a child’s spirits is never a bad thing. Nonetheless, it’s important to iterate that confidence comes from trying and trying again. Constant praise sends the message that trying hard is not an option. In life, we know it’s the complete opposite.
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Tell them to depend on self-love rather than validation from others
The world we live in today suggests that we need to publicly document our every move. If it’s not on social media, then it must not have happened. This could be farther from the truth. We need to teach our children that validation from others doesn’t negate the need for us to treat ourselves how we want others to treat us: with love, kindness, and respect.
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Encourage communication
In certain cultures, kids are to be seen and not heard. While not every conversation is appropriate to engage in with children, they need to learn how to effectively express their emotions. Bottling everything up is not the way to go.
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Keep them engaged in activities
Idle time can introduce a host of problems. Keeping children busy with fun activities not only boosts their moods but it allows them to decide what their interests are.
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Should they practice what you say or do?
It’s easy to dish out advice but we have to be able to mirror the words we spew out – which can be difficult at times. No one is perfect but we have to be able to resolve our issues of self-love and then teach our children how to do the same.
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Combat the external messages
The world isn’t always rainbows and gumdrops. People will sometimes be cruel. There will be circumstances that occur that will be extremely hurtful. It’s important that adolescents know that their actions will not always produce the results they desire. They still need to know it’s okay to be who they are and not let the aforementioned negatively change them.
This isn’t an all-inclusive list nevertheless, children are the adults of the future. Let’s efficiently equip them so they can be the best they can be.
