Causes of Self Esteem Behavior

The most important thing that all parents must know about self esteem behavior is that it will change very often as your child grows up.  While lows and highs are to be expected, you will need to watch for quick or drastic changes in the confidence level as it will sometimes be the only sign of a greater problem.  Our self esteem is crucial to the life that we lead, giving us the confidence to move forward or holding us back for free of an inevitable failure.

Low Self Esteem Behavior:
Low self esteem behavior can be caused by a wide range of things from a small fight with a friend to a more traumatic event such as sexual abuse.  When something small or traumatic happens to your child it is vital that you understand they may not come to you for help, especially very young children and older teenagers. 
Your child is at risk of having a low self esteem if…
--- Show signs of self hate such as hitting themselves or calling themselves bad names
--- They are hesitant to do anything new or unfamiliar
--- They don’t try or surrender without giving themselves a chance
--- They assume that they will fail and seem unwilling to try again
--- They are never satisfied with their accomplishments claiming it means nothing
---Appear as if they just don’t care about anything including present activities or their future

This is only a few low self esteem behaviors.  It is important to note that not all children act the same so if you see these in your child you should simply ask them about it.  Explain to them what self esteem is and why it is important that they learn how to build a good one.  If you believe that they have a problem you may contact their school counselor to discuss the situation and go over your options. 


Resources:

Kids Health for Parents
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/self_esteem.html

Kids Source
http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/Strengthen_Children_Self.html

 

Reader Comments [+ Add Your Comment]

---