Foundation for Child's Achievement: Self-Esteem

If you were born later than the 70’s, the word “self-esteem” is almost unheard of. Almost all homes are ruled by autocratic parents who impose rules into their children without considering the what we now refer to as “self-esteem.” It seems that many children who were raised that way resented it.

But things change dramatically after that period. Parents, in the last few decades, the doctrine of self-esteem suddenly invaded every home. It teaches that parents should help develop their child’s self-esteem by making him feel loved and valued. Because of this belief, parents became indiscriminate. They shower their children with love, support, and encouragement no matter what their children do.

With the doctrine of the development of self-esteem in children also comes the advocacy of “unconditional love” which is, according to “experts,” are intertwined to each other. But since the 1970’s something went missing in the equation of the self-esteem formula. Now, we have to the realization that providing children with “unconditional love” does not automatically achieve the results we want for our children.

What we really wanted for our children is for them to develop a competence and master the world they move in. They must have the basic knowledge that anything they do has a consequence and that they matter. This is the missing and often neglected ingredient in most homes today.

As parents we want our children to grow with a developed competence in how they deal with challenges that this world offers. We want them to achieve the things that they are worth and deserve. This is only possible if we have set the right environment for them to develop their self-esteem by making sure that they receive the right love, encouragement, and support and by allowing them to learn life-skills and use them for their own defined success.

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