Instilling self-esteem in a child is possibly the most difficult task confronting parents.
The modern child tends to be very dependent on a parent to entertain them, being at their beck and call, do things for them which they might find difficult, play with them, sit and do homework, as well as doing far too many things which they themselves should be doing.
This includes keeping their room clean, brushing their teeth, cleaning the bath, taking off from the table and many other responsibilities which they should be doing for themselves.
The impulsive child tends to be very dependent on their parents doing a host of tasks which they should be doing for themselves.
The over dependency on a parent doing too much for the child encourages helplessness. It seems that since the outbreak of Covid, many children are returning to school because they have too rather then they want to.
Many young learners are given the tacit message that they don’t have to listen in class, because when they get home there will be somebody that will help them with their homework, and this could be their mom and Au pair, or perhaps having extra lessons.
It is unbelievable that many schools are offering extra lessons for Grade 1 learners! Every healthy child can read, can add one plus one, and pay attention in class.
As a result, many learners who are refusing to take challenges without some form of help are ending up in remedial classes. From my observation virtually all learners that I have observed that have been placed in remedial classes have low self-esteem, and lack the confidence to believe that they can take up a challenge on their own.
Many of these learners are impulsive!
A child that wants to learn and is not impulsive:
- Has good manners
- Sticks to a task until it’s completed
- Picks himself up and tries harder when he has not been successful
- Is socially well adapted,
- Loves school and can’t wait to take up the challenge of reading and maths
- Is an independent learner with high self-esteem
It is the parents responsibility to encourage independence and equip their child to persevere, maintain the passion that they were born with, ensure that their child is well socialised ,and who does not permit their child to hang around adults but encourages them to play with their peers.
Dr. Ken Resnick’s SmartChoiceParenting Programme (SCPP) enables and empowers parents to raise their children independently, ensuring the children develop self-esteem, resilience to life’s challenges, and are less impulsive.
Want to raise an independent and self-motivated child who isn’t impulsive? Enroll now for Parent Coaching, or a Parenting Workshop.
