Dear Parents,
The child's image of himself is mainly based on how he is treated by the close people around him. It is by feeling loved that he will develop the conviction of being lovable, and this conviction is an essential element of self-esteem.
Self-esteem encompasses all the judgments that the child makes of himself in the different spheres of his life:
Physical (appearance and physical skills);
School (successes, progression);
Family (behavioural conformity, being appreciated by parents);
Social (popularity among peers).
According to Germain Duclos, a specialist in the field of self-esteem, we can divide this concept into four components:
The feeling of security and confidence: the child needs to feel safe;
Knowledge of self: knowing how to identify one’s main characteristics and needs. It is the capacity to pass judgment on oneself by holistically evaluating all of the characteristics. It is building the feeling of identity, autonomy and difference towards parents;
The feeling of belonging to a group: the child needs to be recognised by his parents and siblings in order to be able to dare more to show who he is and to have confidence when among peers;
The feeling of success and competence: each small achievement deserves to be highlighted in order to develop a feeling of competence. But it is also giving oneself the right to make mistakes.
Parents should therefore convey their belief in the child and his abilities to improve and overcome difficulties at all times.
It is important to develop self-esteem in our children as this protects against social anxiety.
Allowing your child to learn to value himself as a person is the best gift you can give him!
It is building up self-esteem resources that he can draw upon throughout his life to cope with difficulties, inevitable changes and everyday challenges.