I am a writer. After fighting this gift given to me, I am finally acknowledging it. I am writer. As writer, words are my world. As a child one hears words used to describe herself from other people--her parents, siblings, friends, teachers--we sometimes do not realize the impact these descriptions have on that child. If she always hears positive things about herself, then a positive image develops but if all she hears are negative descriptions, then a negative image of herself emerges.
As parents, it is important for us to constantly praise our children's efforts to accomplish things--even the smallest achievement and praise is worth more than a million to our child. Effort is what matters. Criticizing an effort is a sure way to kill our child's desire to try something new. As parenting expert Maribel Sison Dionisio always says, "we are our child's cheerleaders."
But what about those traits that should be corrected? Go about correcting them quietly. Say nothing about his negative trait but act on correcting it to the best of our ability.
Talk to your friends about how good your child is and not how bad your child is. Focusing on his positive traits will surely lead him on the right track to a positive self-image. And that is what we want to give him--a positive self-image to enable him to accomplish his goals in life.
