A child’s self-esteem and self-concept are inextricably linked. Self-concept refers to the child’s understanding of him/herself. The value that he or she places on that self-concept is called self-esteem. Children benefit from opportunities to explore, accept and value their strengths and weaknesses. This promotes a feeling of increased confidence about themselves. Some signs of low self-esteem in children can include the following:

• Being highly dependent or clingy with parents and not keen to explore the limits of his/her world in an age-appropriate manner. This extreme shyness does not wear off once the child has “warmed up” in social situations.
• Reluctance to try something new or meet new people;
• Perfectionistic tendencies and a leaning towards “overdoing” things;
• Pessimistic outlook, often making negative statements about him/herself and others and tending to blame others rather than taking responsibility for his/her own actions;

If you would like to learn more about self-esteem, please give
Resilient Kids a call on (07) 3902 1973.