Too much of anything always has severe repercussions. The ability to strike a well formed balance is vital to developing into a wholesome individual. Several personality development professionals have noticed that general understanding of developing self-esteem especially as a productive parenting tool has fueled a generation of kids who seem to have bloated egos and false sense of privilege.
Quite a few child psychologists and experts in the field of constructive development have come to see the general understanding of self-esteem is usually over-applied by parents. This in turn leads to preteens and teenagers suffering from dependency issues and several other emotional variances brought about by heightened self-esteem.
Knowing how much is enough
Continual praise and acclimation in children and adults invariably leads to false presets and delusions in one’s capabilities and skill. It is very important to be able to draw the line between unnecessary and worthy praise. A highly misguided notion, undue reward and acclaim given will feed behavior and tendencies that aren’t necessarily praise worthy.
Overvalued self-esteem breeds trouble
Several studies have shown that heightened self-esteem leads to children and adults developing issue like bullying, narcissistic tendencies, increased use of alcohol and drugs, increased sexual activity and promiscuity, among others. Children who are pampered with high self-esteem grow into individuals who seek constant retribution and acclaim from others. This need for approval and validation can lead to several overt manifestations of debilitating behavior.
Constant praise isn’t conducive to proper growth
Contrary to common ideologies that low self-esteem drives children and adults alike to bad behavior and even criminal activity; recent studies have shown a majority of drug abusers and criminals have high self-esteem. Expert psychologists and sociologists have found that children often tend to turn cynical and demotivated to grow and learn from mistakes with constant commendation from parents.
Striking the right balance
Parents often find it difficult to find the right balance between enabling a positive image in their children as well as being able to instil right amounts of self-respect and esteem. Building your child’s inner self will keep them motivated without the need for regular affirmation from others. By praising acts that deserve commendation and letting them know when they’re in the wrong, your child will begin to identify with a more structured and self-assured persona.
Present challenges
It is important that children and adults alike face challenges with grace and calm. Introducing activities that bring out desired skills in your child’s personality will help them grow and mature into well-rounded individuals. This in turn allows for children with nervous dispositions to feel a sense of accomplishment and pride in activities and jobs completed with competence and alacrity.
Developing self-esteem has much to do with praise in way of compliments and acclaim. However, it is very important to stay within acceptable boundaries of praise worthiness and not go overboard. By encouraging responsibilities and enforcing limits and boundaries gives children a sense of what to expect and how to handle situations effectively. Confident children and adults are usually content and happy with themselves.