Encourage Success

Editor,

I am an employee of Sidney Public Schools, and the four short years I have worked as a para-aid, I have learned that what we as paras, teachers, principals, coaches, parents, etc. do or say can easily tear down a child’s self-esteem.

I was recently reading an article and wanted to explain how this can happen.

Factors that affect self-esteem:

How much the child feels wanted, appreciated and loved.

How your child sees him/herself is often built from what parents or other adults say to them.

His or her sense of achievement.

How the child relates to others.

Self-esteem can be increased by:

Appreciating your child.

Telling them you love them.

Spending time with your child.

Encouraging your child to make choices and make sure they know there are choices.

Listen to your child’s opinion.

Feed them with positive encouragement.

Encourage them to try new and challenging activities.

I feel encouragement is the most important part. Encourage decision-making; this will lead to a feeling of confidence and independence.

Also, treat them with respect. A child who is belittled, patronized, or put down will suffer lack of confidence. If a child fails, never tell him that he has failed, let you down, or cannot succeed. Be a mentor and help the child believe that failure is only a temporary setback and will not affect their ability to succeed, no matter how long it takes.

We have to take care of our children. They will become adults one day, and they will be taking care of us when we are old and grey, so we need to take care of them now. They are our future! My prayer is that everyone reading this who deals with children, and almost everyone does ... encourage our children to succeed!

Rita Hart,
Sidney