4 Ways Parents Can Damage A Child’s Self Esteem

Source:https://themindsjournal.com/

Self-esteem, or self-value, is crucial as it influences our behavior and decisions, helping us face challenges and pursue new experiences. Parents strive to build their children’s self-esteem, but they can sometimes make mistakes that inadvertently harm it. It’s important for parents to be aware of how their actions and words might negatively impact their children’s self-esteem, despite their good intentions.

Here 4 Ways Parents Can Damage Their Children’s Self Esteem

1. Yelling And Hitting: Yelling and hitting significantly harm a child’s self-worth by demonstrating poor impulse control and attempting to disempower them. While these actions might seem to stop unwanted behavior temporarily, they actually undermine the child’s self-esteem and hinder their ability to engage in constructive problem-solving and conflict resolution. Such methods, although common, ultimately damage the child’s emotional development and sense of self.

2. Dwelling On Past Conflicts:Once a conflict is resolved, parents should avoid bringing up past mistakes. Constantly revisiting old issues can lead children to hold grudges and feel stuck in the past. Instead, children should be given a chance to start fresh and be positively reinforced for their current good behaviors. This approach helps boost their self-esteem and reduces the likelihood of repeating negative behaviors for attention.

3. Injecting Guilt:Asking a child to empathize by considering others’ perspectives can be beneficial, but using guilt to control them is harmful. Parents who use guilt, like in the case of Loretta and her son Harold, risk alienating their children. Loretta’s attempts to guilt Harold for his behavior only led to increased agitation and conflict, illustrating how guilt-based parenting can damage the parent-child relationship and undermine trust.

4. Speaking With Sarcasm: You are using sarcasm if you say things you don’t mean and imply the opposite of what you’re saying through your tone of voice. An example would be saying something like, “Oh, aren’t you bright,” when your child makes a poor choice. The use of sarcasm hurts children because it feels shaming. Putting a child down through sarcasm creates an obstacle for parents trying to communicate effectively with their children

There May Be More Lost Than Self-Esteem

In addition to negatively impacting self-esteem, each of the negative parenting behaviors described above can increase defiant behavior in your child. Children who bottle up their feelings as a result of being exposed to the parenting behaviors discussed above may lash out later on in ways that are emotionally hurtful and upsetting. Many children and teens have confided with me about negative emotions and behaviors they engage in after feeling hurt by their parents.

Own Your Behaviors To Get Control Of Them

It’s common to occasionally revert to problematic behaviors even after committing to change. When this happens, it’s important to address the issues with your child. For example, Sal, a father who had previously been critical and sarcastic with his son Anthony, made progress in improving his approach. Despite a slip-up at a soccer awards banquet, Sal acknowledged his mistake and apologized to Anthony, expressing pride and honor in being his father. This approach helps repair relationships and reinforces positive change.

In conclusion, the way you interact with your child significantly impacts their development of self-esteem. Positive communication and accountability for your own negative behaviors can help your child learn to adopt similar behaviors, ultimately boosting their self-value and self-esteem.

Read More: https://childreninfobank.com/safebank/4-ways-parents-can-damage-a-childs-self-esteem/

Image Source:https://themindsjournal.com/