Having a positive self esteem is one of the most important aspects of our child’s development.  Of all the judgements we pass in life, none is more important than the judgement we pass on ourselves. As parents we play a significant role in helping to nurture and develop this self esteem. We have been urged over and again to give praise, to reward and to cheer at every achievement. But have we got so good at the praising aspect of building self esteem that we are forgetting to develop some other very important life skills?

Don’t get me wrong,  I am all for positive reinforcement…but do we sometimes go a little overboard praising our child’s achievements?  There are certainly those times when a child putting on their socks and shoes or picking up their drink bottle off the floor is treated with the equivalent adulation to those making their way to the dais to receive an Olympic gold medal. [Read more...]