When you're in the process of building your identity, self-esteem is a precious inheritance to be offered to young people collectively. Everyone plays a part in building self-esteem in children and teenagers.
Self-esteem is the pillar on which our choices, relationships and achievements are built throughout life. Good self-esteem helps us recognize our own strengths and those of others. It enables us to position ourselves in life, to say yes and no, and to come to terms with our differences.
As a child, it enables us to dare to explore the world and believe in ourselves, all in a safe environment. In adolescence, good self-esteem helps young people to take action, discover themselves, have experiences and make choices that shape their identity. It can be uneven and fragile, and evolves throughout life.
Some tips to help children and teenagers develop their self-esteem:
- Giving love and being present: set aside time to listen, share, exchange, play and show attention, loving the young person as he or she is.
- Establish a secure framework with rules: be clear and consistent about the rules, provide a safe and welcoming environment, protect without overprotecting.
- Setting an example: recognize your abilities as an adult and talk about the difficulties you've encountered.
- Encourage: recognize children's strengths, support them in discovering their identity, help them get through worries and challenges, and encourage them to make choices within their abilities to foster the development of their autonomy.
- Supporting efforts: recognize successes and learning, and normalize failures.
Today, we live in a society where comparison is exarcerbated, whether through social media or the race for performance. This comparison mechanism, often unconscious, undermines self-esteem, particularly in young people who are exposed to it on a massive scale.
How can we deal with our society's influence on self-esteem?
- Open dialog: encourage open discussion on social networks, the effects of comparison, and the perception of failure.
- Celebrating differences! We are uniquely beautiful! There is no single model of beauty or success. We're all different, with our own stories and backgrounds, and we all bring something unique to society. It's a good habit to get into, to celebrate and encourage each other rather than compare and criticize.
- Reinforcing self-esteem : strong self-esteem provides armour against the negative influences of social media or pressure to perform. By encouraging young people to develop their strengths and abilities, and to focus on their own achievements and efforts rather than comparing themselves with others, we help build their self-esteem.
By collectively building environments conducive to the development of young people's self-esteem, we all contribute to their well-being and good mental health. A precious legacy for tomorrow's world.
Want to find out more? We invite you to get to know our collaborator!
" We are the only Quebec-based group ofcommunity organizations specifically dedicated to mental health promotion and prevention. We want to equip the people of Quebec to develop and strengthen their mental health, and make it a collective and social project. " – MSMQ
E-mail: info@mouvementsmq.ca
Website: https://mouvementsmq.ca
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