Sense of Self

When parents show self confidence it shows children how to develop their own strong sense of self, handle challenges well, and build resilience.

• Support their interests, hobbies, and creative outlets. 
• Allow them to express their thoughts and feelings openly without judgment. 
• Emphasize and celebrate their individuality and uniqueness. For example, if your child loves art, make a mini art exhibition in your home to showcase their work to the rest of the family and show them how proud you are. 
• Teach them to appreciate diversity and differences in others. See Teach Kids Their Rights.

• Help them recognize and challenge negative thoughts. 
• Encourage the development of a positive and affirming inner dialogue.

• Encourage them to think about their strengths, interests, and values.
• Ask them things like “What went well today? What could have gone better- what could you have done differently? What activities make you feel happy? Can you think of a time when you felt understood?” Not all at once of course! 
• Discuss their accomplishments and areas for growth, fostering self awareness.
• Try the Kids Help Phone Self Quest with your kids.

• Assist them in setting realistic, achievable goals. 
• Celebrate their successes, reinforcing a sense of accomplishment.

• Involve them in decision-making processes to build confidence in their choices. 
• Discuss the consequences of decisions. 
• For example, involve your child in discussions about parenting schedules together. Explain the options, and ask for their input on when and how they would like to spend time with each of you. 
• See Voice of the Child

• Allow age-appropriate independence and responsibility. 
• For example, encouraging your teenager to take responsibility in managing their own schedule where they set their study and free time. 
• Create a responsibility or chore chart.