4 Reasons For The Self-esteem Of Weak Children Who Can Be Recognized By Parents

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JAKARTA - Small children tend to have a relatively high level of self-esteem. But along with the beginning of the age of twelve years, low self-esteem could be a bigger problem. There are a number of reasons that relate to each other why low self-esteem began to emerge in pre-age youth.

Between the ages of six to 11 years, children began to actively compare themselves to their peers. This newly discovered social comparison occurred due to cognitive and social reasons.

Psychologist Erik Erikson, quoted by Very Well Family, Thursday, April 4, believes that comparing yourself is the biggest thing children face at this age. Their main conflict, according to him, is centered on developing a competitive sense or feeling of competence, while avoiding self-esteem.

As Erikson noted, some children realized that their efforts were not as good as their friends' efforts and began to feel inferior. But what needs to be considered, inability does not always lead to low self-esteem. If a child's poor performance occurs in a field where he doesn't enjoy it, for example athletics, it is unlikely that his self-esteem will be affected. However, if he is incompetent in the field he considers important, such as academics, he risks developing low self-esteem.

The pressure of ability also increases at the age of 12. During early and middle childhood, parents and teachers tend to praise any effort, big or small, bad or very good. However, as teenagers get closer, adults begin to expect more from children. As a result, teenagers not only make their own comparisons between themselves and their peers, but they also watch adults make the same comparison.

When expectations of abilities in children from parents and teachers increase, teenagers begin to feel disappointment from adults. Whether the child's self-esteem will be affected depends on how parents convey it to children. If the rejection comes from someone who is not liked by children, a teacher who is fierce, for example, children will not consider the assessment in their heart and their self-esteem will remain high.

However, if the child believes that his beloved parents or teachers are disappointed with him, the child can develop a low sense of self-esteem. So watch out that parents can play a key role in helping children maintain a healthy self-esteem.