What’s wrong with me?
Most of us have an inner dialogue running through our minds. It’s like in the movies where you see the red devil on one side and the little white angel on the other side whispering into your ear. Sometimes the voice is encouraging and believes in you, and at other times is negative and critical, causing us to question ourselves. These are automatic thoughts. Both adults and children have positive and negative automatic thoughts.
As children grow up, they are also faced with the task of finding their place in the world. “Do people like me?” “Can I do this?” “Who am I?” Positive self-talk is a tool all of us can use to combat doubt or the negative thoughts; and improve your self esteem.
Positive self-talk does not mean that you pretend to be happy or ignore the difficult situations life throws your way. Rather, it is a tool in which you can approach those situations in a positive and productive way.
IMPROVING SELF ESTEEM:
Improving self esteem can be instilled most effectively by you. Do you praise your child for being courageous, loving, or helpful? Do you tell them often how important, special and loved they are? Instilling confidence and creating positive beliefs about themselves builds the self-esteem your child needs in order to be successful. A great, tangible way to teach your child about positive self-talk is to have them draw a picture of themselves. Then, have them add positive characteristics of themselves. Help them identify their strengths. Are they caring, smart, helpful, loving, good at math, or great at playing the guitar? Continue until you have filled the drawing with a list of positive attributes.
When in doubt…..
If your child struggles with low self esteem or negative self-talk, child or teen therapy may help. I use CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) to help children change their negative thinking into positive thoughts. In addition, art therapy and play therapy are also effective ways to improve self esteem. Please don’t let your child struggle another minute. I can help. Please call me at 661-259-8200 x2.