What to do from home to increase our children's self-esteem?

What we say to our sons and daughters is important, but the facts are much more so.

This is the case for several reasons, but the main one is that children have little developed language and understand worse through words. Their natural mode of learning is the experiences they have on a day-to-day basis.

In this sense, here we will review several parenting tips to increase the self-esteem of the little ones in the house.

• Related article: "Do you really know what self-esteem is?"

Tips to strengthen the self-esteem of our children at home

There are many things we can do during the day that increase the self-esteem and confidence of our sons and daughters, such as the following.

1. Talk to them in a gentle and respectful tone

Boys and girls, like adults, do not like people who speak ill to them. We should try to speak kindly to them. They are more sensitive to screaming.

2. Wake them up with love

Sometimes, due to the rush of day to day, we wake them up abruptly, quickly and quite stressed. It is important to spend a little time waking them up with a good good morning kiss. In the end

that awakening is the first thing they perceive of us in the day.

3. We do not ask them to do everything right, or perfection

If we correct frequently, we generate a feeling of over-demand and low self-esteem.

4. Talk to them about how our day has gone

Sharing our day so that they want to share theirs. Sometimes we question them about their day instead of sharing ours and wait for them to want to share what happened to them.

5. Listen to them with our full attention and without distractions

It is key to make them see that both they and the things they share with us are very important.

6. Validate your feelings without judging or questioning

How many times do they tell us “I don't like this”, “I don't want to do this” and we usually answer “Yes you like it but now you don't feel like it” (for example).

Validating is not about doing what they say, but about empathizing, respecting. "I know you don't like it, but ..." "I understand that you want to do X, but ...".

7. Smiles and physical contact

Sometimes, again from the rush of day to day and our own problems, we plunge into a routine where everything is running, hurry and long faces. Giving them a smile, slowing down and giving a hug sends the message that we love and accept them. And this also gives us a break, a rest, a "stop to think and value."

• You may be interested in: "10 daily habits that improve your emotional balance"

8. Take an interest in your things

Perhaps the characters in their favorite drawings are not something that we really want to know, but for them they are their things and they are important. It is essential to connect with their inner world and with them.

9. Play

It is a way to spend time with them and as time passes those game memories will be a gift for both of you.

10. Correct them with respect

With love, without threats, without punishment. In this way they will feel us as a safe place and will identify mistakes as opportunities to learn and not as failures or situations that they must hide in order not to be punished. We want them to be able to talk to us when they have a problem, not to prevent us from knowing for fear of what we will tell them.

• Related article: "Child therapy: what is it and what are its benefits"

11. Dine and eat together as long as our schedules allow us

Perhaps in most houses it is easier to coincide at dinner. It is a moment for all of us to share how our day has gone.

In addition, the table is a suitable place to set rules (we remain seated, we respect the turn to speak ...). Children who learn to respect the rules feel more self-confident.

12. Accompany them before going to sleep

That little time before going to sleep, where we are with them in the room, we read them a story or talk about the day to end with a good night kiss it is a way of making them feel safe.

There are many more things we can do to boost your self-esteem on a day-to-day basis. Perhaps there is one last thing about which, although we take it for granted, the message does not always reach them and they need to know it. It is to tell them: I love you, I really like how you are. I am very proud of you.