What Is Self-Esteem?

Quick Links: Building Self-Esteem Ecourse

Self-esteem is more than just a buzzword used in parenting books to get your attention and while it is often intermixed with words like self-worth and self-confidence, it has it's own distinct definition. Self-esteem is the measure a person takes of how one looks at oneself, their beliefs in their abilities, their feelings and future perspectives as it relates to their world.

Simple examples using a tennis playing teen:

1. A teen is good at tennis and enjoys the game. Their school has a tennis team and the teen thrives on it. Barring any other problems, this teen will have a high self-esteem.
2. A teen is good at tennis but dislikes the game. Their school has a tennis team and the teen does okay, but not as well as the expectations of their coach and parents, which they communicate to the teen by talking to the teen about not doing as well but never offering the teen the choice of not being on the team. Barring any other circumstances, this teen's self-esteem will go down.
3. A teen is good at tennis but their school only values its football team. The football players travel all over the state and tons of money and fundraiser from the athletic department is used for football. There is no tennis team or court. Barring any other circumstances, this teen will not be able to use their tennis playing ability to build their self-esteem.

Self-esteem is something you need to help your child build and protect. The ramification of a low self-esteem in a teenager in this day and age is not something you as a parent want to face. They have problems in school, sometimes turn to drugs and alcohol and often become depressed. A child with a healthy self-esteem has a 'can-do' attitude. He feels like a capable person who isn't afraid of trying new things. He has a fun outlook on life and shows this through his everyday actions. This is what you are hoping for with your teen.

Quick Links: Building Self-Esteem Ecourse