Are You Missing Clues About Your Child's Self-Esteem?

Kids often drop clues about how they feel about themselves, but many parents miss them.  Adventures in Wisdom announces a free assessment tool that parents can use to better understand how their kids feel about themselves.

Kids can either complete the assessment themselves or parents can go through it with them.  With the assessment, kids rate themselves using a 1-10 scale on statements such as, "This world needs me."  Or, "I often get down on myself."  How kids rate themselves will help parents understand where their kids need additional support.

According to Renaye Thornborrow, founder and CEO of Adventures in Wisdom, "How kids feel about themselves is critical for their happiness and success in life.  Kids with strong self-esteem tend to go for their goals and stand up to peer pressure whereas kids with lower self-esteem often drift through life and may be easily influenced by others.  Parents can download the free tool, "Assessing Self-esteem," at the company's website at http://bit.ly/u6hLmb.

In addition to the assessment, parents can look for these clues:

• Observe how kids talk about themselves.  If they put themselves down saying things like, "I'm stupid," or compare themselves unfavorably to others, "I'm a lousy hitter...David is better than me," then they are showing signs of negative self-esteem.
• Observe how kids interact with others.  Do they jump right in, assuming that others will like them, or do they shy away from meeting new people?  Children who avoid new people and new experiences often struggle with self-esteem.
• Look for the "grungies."  Grungies are negative emotions such as sadness, fear, anxiety, or embarrassment.  These feelings often stem from self-doubt and self-criticism, which are both signs of a child struggling with self-esteem.

Looking for these clues and listening to their children's responses on the assessment will help parents identify areas where their children need support to develop the positive self-esteem needed to create happy fulfilling lives.

Based in Austin, Texas, Adventures in Wisdom is a breakthrough life coaching program for kids that uses short stories and activities to teach children ages 6-12 how to develop powerful self-esteem and self-confidence; achieve their goals; handle challenges such as fear, failure, and peer pressure; and create happy fulfilling lives.