How can we help kids feel better about her/him self? Do you ever worry that your child may have low self-esteem? Is your child able to stand up for him/her self? Do they have a good sense of what they are good at and what characteristics they like about their self? In working with children who have difficulty answering these questions I have tried a variety of different activities with them. Trying to think of concrete ways to help these children and adolescents build their self-esteem has been challenging at times.
I have recently developed some worksheets and activities to help these children feel better about themselves.
• Take note cards and have your child draw/write something they like about him/her self. Then on the back of the note card list the reasons that your child likes this about him/her self or how they know that they are good at this activity.
• Have your child keep a journal where they can record something positive they did that day, what they did that they felt went well, and what they did that made them feel good.
• Encourage children to identify their strengths and acknowledge their strengths when you recognize them.
• Role play with your child how they can be assertive in different situations and teach them to you “I messages” to express themselves.
• Here is a worksheet that I created that you can complete with your child.
It’s Good To Be Me Because (portrait)
What things have you used to help boost your child’s self-esteem?
Trusted Therapy, PC
Tonya McFarland, PsyD, LP, CEDS
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist
1030 Johnson Rd, #323 Golden, CO 80401
303-709-5897
www.trustedtherapy.com
tonya@trustedtherapy.com