There are only two lasting bequests, we can give our children. One is roots, the other wings." Hodding Carter

Self-esteem is how you rate yourself deep down. It is a belief and a confidence in your own ability and value. It's a gentle knowing that:

 You like yourself.

 You think you're a good human being.

 You deserve love.

 You deserve happiness.

 You feel deep down in your inner knowing that you are an OK person.

But where does that ability come from?

I believe it initially comes from you - your childs parent as you are the first role models for your child and you play a major part in developing, nurturing and building your childs confidence, their self esteem and in the long term their self belief.

I see your job as a parent similar to being a gardener - where you sow seeds of confidence through nurturing, watering and feeding your growing childs self esteem through the words that you use, the actions that you take and the love and encouragement you give.

We are all born with our own personality traits, but it is not so much who we are when we are born that counts, but who we are encouraged and allowed to become.

Did you know on average, we have 90,000 thoughts a day and 60,000 of those are repetitive?

So teach your child to think positively about themselves!

What can you do as the parent of a young child to begin this very important process?

The first place to start is to develop a strong healthy self image in your child because from that solid foundation, every thing else in life will become easier and more straightforward. Your current self-image is the result of the repeated messages and instructions you received as a child from your authority figures i.e. your parents, family, teachers and other influential adults and peers in your life.

 What you do, say and how you act really matter

A useful attitude to adopt as a parent is one of "awareness parenting" - by this I mean being constantly aware of the bigger picture. It's the destination of your parenting- the nurturing of the unique, happy, confident and well balanced adult that really matters.

Keeping the bigger picture doesn't always come naturally to many people and by thinking about what you're doing doesn't take away all the fun and spontaneity from your parenting- it just changes your perspective. If you are a thoughtful parent, you are nurturing self-esteem all the time and influencing how your child views themselves for the rest of their lives.

I think a great question to ask yourself quickly in any situation is: -Is this bringing me closer to or further away from the relationship I want with my child?

 Help your child feel special and appreciated.

One of the main factors that contribute to your child becoming resilient and confident is by you focusing your energy on your child's strengths and not constantly picking up on their weaknesses.

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