preschool aged children
I need someone to respond to these three for me!!
First One
G.B.
It is essential for preschool aged children to have a solid and nurturing foundation to build positive self-esteem, which includes children having a sense of belonging, believing in themselves, and knowing that they are worthwhile and valued. According to Marion (2015, p. 187), authentic self-esteem, positive, healthy, earned, and balanced provides a secure foundation for further growth and development. Negative, unhealthy, unbalanced, self-esteem, on the other hand, provides a shaky foundation for a child’s development. Some children with damaged self-esteem make a negative evaluation of their competence, control, or worth, that stays with them; affecting many aspects of their lives.
In the scenario where the grandmother always respond with “That’s great!” no matter what a child does is not teaching the child that they are entitled to make mistakes. Children are expected to make mistakes; this helps build their confidence while recognizing their mistakes and making progress from them. For example, if a child puts his cup of milk to close to the edge of a table and spills it, would the grandmother tell the child that his/her actions were great. The child will never learn that it is okay to make mistakes. However, children respond well to praise. Instead of saying “That’s great!”, the grandparent should encourage the child’s self-worth. For example, by saying “thank you” to a child waiting patiently in line”, the child is being praised as well as learning that he or she is doing something right.
Second
U.R.
You are talking to a parent who thinks that, in order to have positive self-esteem, his child has to be good at everything. He never pushes his child to do anything that might be a challenge.
It is without a doubt every parents dream to see their child succeed at every task they put their hands on, but realistically it is not possible. We have to start at the bottom and learn the processes by which we can acquire the skill and for some eventually be good or master them. In this scenario, I would explain to the parents that in order to be good at something we have to test our limits. Like a baby learning to walk, he makes countless attempts at standing and eventually takes a step (even though he falls each time) and with encouragement he keeps on trying until it becomes a thing of the past. This is an example of testing our limits. The only way to truly know what your child is capable of is to allow them to try.
I would also explain to the parent that their behavior is not of encouragement for the child, it means that you have very low expectations for your child. We cannot become Emperors of our Dynasty unless we conquer it. Not allowing your child to try is giving them low self esteem because they will see their peers exceed and try new things without giving up and of course with the full support of their parents. This will also instill fear in them because they would refrain from trying in fear of failing or not doing their best according to the parents standards. Growing up my dad’s favorite words of encouragement were “It is better to have tried and failed than to never have tried at all”. The only way to know if you are good at something is to try it, this would actually give you a peace of mind.
Two strategies that I would suggest to help the child develop authentic self-esteem are; to try activities together as a family, it is a good way to show support, acceptance, and good communication. Another strategy is to set obtainable goals, kids will feel a sense of accomplishment when the have reached the expected goal and may feel confident enough to take risks and go a little further.
Third One
J.R.
You notice that a preschooler’s grandmother who volunteers in your program responds to her own grandchild and other children with “That’s great!” no matter what a child does. When you mention that she uses the phrase a lot, she responds enthusiastically that she knows praise is essential to give children positive self-esteem.
Response
In response to the grandmother constantly giving praise no matter what the child may do, I would first let her know that it is great to encourage and show interest in what the child is doing. Feedback is truly essential to acknowledge the great things a child may be doing (Marion, 2015). I would also let the grandmother know that although praise is a great way to help your child’s self-esteem you don’t want to give your child empty praise, which can lead to bigger problems throughout life such as narcissism and an unhealthy sense of self-esteem (Marion, 2015).
Two ideas or strategies I would suggest for helping the child develop authentic self-esteem is to give meaningful feedback and not empty praise. Acknowledge what the child did well instead of constantly saying your great constantly (Marion, 2015). This will help the child to strive for excellence as well as help to teach them humility. Another idea to help the child with authentic self-esteem is to show a genuine interest in the child’s activities. Let your child know their learning and activities are valid in importance and you are truly vested into their education and interests (Marion, 2015). These tips will help your child with a healthy sense of self-esteem.
A few insights I have gained about authentic self-esteem and assumptions or misconceptions that were corrected was just saying great job or giving empty praise to everything that your child does is not healthy. It is important to teach them humility at a young age. It is also very important to give meaningful feedback to your child and acknowledge their triumphs without bragging (Marion, 2015).
