Confidence. Courage. Self-esteem. These words are hot topics in today’s world. We know that confidence and self-esteem are important qualities for children to develop, and we know that confident children are able to more easily face the challenges of daily life. It is safe to say that almost all parents want to instill confidence and self-esteem in their children, but many parents question how exactly the process works. Self-esteem grows when children feel accepted, loved, and competent. Most parents have no problem showing love and acceptance, but for children, developing competence takes time and encouragement from parents. Children need to know that their parents believe in them. The language used with children can either instill confidence or harm, helping the child to thrive or wither.
Children who are encouraged tend to have a strong sense of self-esteem. Children who are criticized or discouraged tend to have little self-esteem. If you are thinking you have this whole encouragement thing under control, hear me out for just a little bit longer. There’s a catch with the language of encouragement.
If you were asked to describe the difference between praise and encouragement, what would you say? When I ask parents this question in my office, I am often met with a look of questioning. A lot of parents think they are using the language of encouragement when they really use the language of praise. You see praise and encouragement are similar, but their impact is quite different. Allow me to explain the difference.
