Literally, self-esteem is the self-image of any person and his perception about himself. Whether self-esteem is high or low is a lot more influenced by the opinion the people carry about us.
The prominent features of any individual's temperament depend, a lot, upon the kind of environment he/she is raised and nurtured in. High confidence, on the self, is the key ingredient to a good self-esteem. Thus, parents and teachers should strive towards confidence building in children. Here, are a few points,I feel,can help to accomplish the same:
1) Children are immature to judge between right and wrong. Well-calculated words must be said to them. They should only be constructively criticized for their deeds since they accept everything as is without any reasoning.
2) They should be lavishly appreciated for every achievement howsoever little it may appear and should be encouraged to keep the performance up the next time.
3) Freedom of thoughts is important for the brain to work at its best. Thus, children should not be suppressed by any means. Suppression will only make them submissive and inculcate unnecessary fear in them. Fear does not allow the brain to think freely and restricts innovation and exploring.
4) Children should be encouraged to manage their work on their own rather than being spoon-fed by the parents.
5) Children should never be compared with their fellow-friends. All individuals are different, special and gifted in one way or the other. Rather, they should be allowed to span their horizons to discover their hidden and unique capabilities.

If somebody is confident, I am sure, his/her childhood must have had any or all of the points mentioned above.

An earthen pot is shaped while it is wet. Its shape can't be changed on its drying and hardening. In the same way, a child's character can only be molded in his/her formative, growing and learning years only.

Learn more about this author, Shruti Sharma.
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