11 Ways To Skyrocket your Child's Self Esteem with Martial Arts
Discover How Martial Arts Develops Self-Esteem in Your Child
Webster’s dictionary defines self esteem as “a confidence and satisfaction in oneself” (eg “I am competent”, “I am worthy”), as well as emotional states, such as triumph, despair, pride, and shame.
Having a healthy self-esteem affects almost every aspect of a child’s life. From a young age, having good self esteem results in a “Can Do” attitude, and children feel confident to develop skills in many areas. On the other hand, low self esteem often results in a “I Can’t Do This” negative attitude.
As children develop, and before they can take control of their own lives, they need to believe in themselves. Their level of self esteem affects interaction with everyone and everything around them. Children with good self esteem have a positive attitude to life and will take calculated risks and adventures in their journey to becoming a successful
and happy adult. On the other hand low self esteem presents doubt, dependence and other social issues.
Being able to raise children with strong, positive values is the most important job of every parent and establishing a good foundation starts at a young age. This is when it is easiest to instil good values and behaviours in their minds. Children need to be taught to believe in themselves and have the confidence to face anything thrown at them. The earlier they learn these things, the stronger they will be. The more they will be able to develop a positive attitude instead of a negative one.
#1. Parents as Role Models
When children are brought up to be strong and confident, they learn how to protect themselves from peer pressure and the dangerous effects that come with it. Among the many ways parents can do this is by setting a good example themselves. It helps when parents show they feel good about themselves. Children learn more from what they see rather than what they are told to do. They are very observant and notice the smallest things, so be careful what you say and how you act around them even when you think they aren’t looking.
Parents must remember to give their children positive energy and affirmations to reassure them that they are ok! If they hear it from the people they look up to, it will leave a bigger impact on them.
#2. Pay Attention to Your Child
Another way that teaches children about their own value is by spending quality time with them and when you do, give it your full attention.
Put away your phone or laptop and just focus on your kids. When they tell you something, be it their thoughts, feelings or a silly story, it is important that you listen and let them finish what they have to say. Let them know you are truly interested, ask questions or share your reactions after. It will make them feel valued and appreciated, and this also sets an example of how they should.
#3. Discipline
Many will agree that discipline, aside from self-esteem, is an essential characteristic of a successful individual. It’s another value that must be developed and nurtured at a young age. Having a great relationship with your children starts with disciplining them. They need to know exactly what’s expected of them, and the consequences for bad behaviour. Being reasonable and consistent with your expectations of them is they key to successful disciplining.
A well-disciplined child stands out from the rest. They behave well and display control, confidence, independence and focus o tasks long enough to achieve results. Without discipline, it’s difficult to achieve goals or accomplish anything at all.
#4. Responsibility
By delegating responsibilities to your children, their confidence is boosted because they feel that they are trusted enough to carry on that task to the finish. Start with simple everyday chores like setting the table, cleaning their rooms, packing their lunch. Then eventually give them bigger, harder tasks and always tell them why they are being asked to do it, what is expected of them and that you believe they will be able to do it well. When they are done, they will be proud not just of what they have accomplished but also because they did not let you down.
#5. Recognition
One of the best ways to boost self-esteem in anybody is to recognise their achievements. Whenever children are praised and appreciated they feel like they are 100 times bigger than they actually are.
This is why it is important that parents always remember to give them the appropriate praise and recognition. Take notice of even the smallest improvements or good deeds, and most importantly, let them feel your sincerity. Even when children are struggling to achieve, give them praise and feedback that they are OK regardless of how hard it is for them. This gives them strength to continue and understand they don’t have to be the best at everything they do.
#6. Successes and Failures
Understand the balance between guiding and letting them be. While we must encourage children to be independent and
learn how to overcome problems, we must first make sure that we have prepared them enough.
We must teach them not just to solve problems but how to identify them accurately as well. Allow them to work through challenges or obstacles at their own pace and
teach them how to deal with pressure.
We should celebrate each success, whether it be an individual or group effort and no matter how small. At the same time, instil in them that failure is not entirely a bad thing, but something we can learn and recover from.
#1. Parents as Role Models
When children are brought up to be strong and confident, they learn how to protect themselves from peer pressure and the dangerous effects that come with it. Among the many ways parents can do this is by setting a good example themselves. It helps when parents show they feel good about themselves. Children learn more from what they see rather than what they are told to do. They are very observant and notice the smallest things, so be careful what you say and how you act around them even when you think they aren’t looking.
Parents must remember to give their children positive energy and affirmations to reassure them that they are ok! If they hear it from the people they look up to, it will leave a bigger impact on them.
#2. Pay Attention to Your Child
Another way that teaches children about their own value is by spending quality time with them and when you do, give it your full attention.
Put away your phone or laptop and just focus on your kids. When they tell you something, be it their thoughts, feelings or a silly story, it is important that you listen and let them finish what they have to say. Let them know you are truly interested, ask questions or share your reactions after. It will make them feel valued and appreciated, and this also sets an example of how they should.
#3. Discipline
Many will agree that discipline, aside from self-esteem, is an essential characteristic of a successful individual. It’s another value that must be developed and nurtured at a young age. Having a great relationship with your children starts with disciplining them. They need to know exactly what’s expected of them, and the consequences for bad behaviour. Being reasonable and consistent with your expectations of them is they key to successful disciplining.
A well-disciplined child stands out from the rest. They behave well and display control, confidence, independence and focus o tasks long enough to achieve results. Without discipline, it’s difficult to achieve goals or accomplish anything at all.
#4. Responsibility
By delegating responsibilities to your children, their confidence is boosted because they feel that they are trusted enough to carry on that task to the finish. Start with simple everyday chores like setting the table, cleaning their rooms, packing their lunch. Then eventually give them bigger, harder tasks and always tell them why they are being asked to do it, what is expected of them and that you believe they will be able to do it well. When they are done, they will be proud not just of what they have accomplished but also because they did not let you down.
#5. Recognition
One of the best ways to boost self-esteem in anybody is to recognise their achievements. Whenever children are praised and appreciated they feel like they are 100 times bigger than they actually are.
This is why it is important that parents always remember to give them the appropriate praise and recognition. Take notice of even the smallest improvements or good deeds, and most importantly, let them feel your sincerity. Even when children are struggling to achieve, give them praise and feedback that they are OK regardless of how hard it is for them. This gives them strength to continue and understand they don’t have to be the best at everything they do.
#6. Successes and Failures
Understand the balance between guiding and letting them be. While we must encourage children to be independent and
learn how to overcome problems, we must first make sure that we have prepared them enough.
We must teach them not just to solve problems but how to identify them accurately as well. Allow them to work through challenges or obstacles at their own pace and
teach them how to deal with pressure.
We should celebrate each success, whether it be an individual or group effort and no matter how small. At the same time, instil in them that failure is not entirely a bad thing, but something we can learn and recover from.
Our School is Your Partner
Learning always starts at home, with the parents, but this should also be supplemented. While children get their academic education in school, it still isn’t enough.
A good way of developing skills and characteristics in children is through martial arts training, and building self-esteem is one skill that we particularly focus on
#7. Like-Minded Peers
Our instructors give each student equal attention and constant feedback so that they are aware of their individual progress. They inform the student where their strengths or weaknesses lie and together, they discuss how the student can improve.
We believe in the benefits of social interaction, which is why we also highly encourage it.
Aside from martial arts, students often discover that they have many other shared interests as well and from there, lasting friendships and bonds are formed.
#8. Discipline
Martial arts training requires not just physical skill but also mental agility. To combine the two, discipline must come into play. It takes discipline to train regularly and focus to achieve training goals. When students develop discipline in martial arts, it carries through to the other areas of their life. They perform better in school, showing improvement in their grades and the quality of their work unconsciously boosting their self-esteem even outside the dojo.
#9. Responsibilities
When children first get into martial arts, they often think of it as just another after-school or weekend activity. They don’t notice that they eventually develop important lifelong skills along the way, like responsibility. Our students know that it is their responsibility to come to our classes on time, eat healthily, get enough sleep, and look after their class mates. They learn that they are responsible for their own accomplishments. Though they train together as a class, the student’s progress is measured and rewarded individually. In martial arts, to move up a rank, each student must work extremely hard and prove that they deserve it. They must exhibit a certain level of discipline, train regularly, do the techniques proficiently, demonstrate consistent progress and gain the instructor’s approval. The belt is a visual sign of his hard work, discipline, and responsibility..
#10. Praise for Effort
It’s in a child’s nature to look for approval. Babies look at their parents whenever they try new things as if to check if it is ok or if they are doing it right.
Our instructors inform their students of the goals of the class, they set expectations and encourage the children to put in the effort needed to achieve those goals. They pay attention to each one and give due recognition whenever possible. Positive reinforcement and words of affirmation are necessary for the proper development of children’s behaviour and self-esteem. Students learn to value their efforts and talents
#11. Success
Success can mean different things to different people. For us, it means that we have equipped our students with enough self-esteem to lead them towards their own success. Through our martial arts training children learn strong values. They learn respect for themselves and for others. They learn to think positively, believe in their capabilities and have the confidence to face challenges. They develop the discipline needed to focus on the task at hand and work hard to achieve their goals.
Just as parents want the best for their children, we also want the best for our students. We want them to be good, happy, strong, and successful individuals who have the perfect balance of confidence and self-esteem. It is our dream that they work their strengths to find their passion and achieve their full potential. Through our school’s martial arts training and unique personal development curriculum, we will instil these values in your children. Values that will be ingrained in them for the rest of their lives.
#7. Like-Minded Peers
Our instructors give each student equal attention and constant feedback so that they are aware of their individual progress. They inform the student where their strengths or weaknesses lie and together, they discuss how the student can improve.
We believe in the benefits of social interaction, which is why we also highly encourage it.
Aside from martial arts, students often discover that they have many other shared interests as well and from there, lasting friendships and bonds are formed.
#8. Discipline
Martial arts training requires not just physical skill but also mental agility. To combine the two, discipline must come into play. It takes discipline to train regularly and focus to achieve training goals. When students develop discipline in martial arts, it carries through to the other areas of their life. They perform better in school, showing improvement in their grades and the quality of their work unconsciously boosting their self-esteem even outside the dojo.
#9. Responsibilities
When children first get into martial arts, they often think of it as just another after-school or weekend activity. They don’t notice that they eventually develop important lifelong skills along the way, like responsibility. Our students know that it is their responsibility to come to our classes on time, eat healthily, get enough sleep, and look after their class mates. They learn that they are responsible for their own accomplishments. Though they train together as a class, the student’s progress is measured and rewarded individually. In martial arts, to move up a rank, each student must work extremely hard and prove that they deserve it. They must exhibit a certain level of discipline, train regularly, do the techniques proficiently, demonstrate consistent progress and gain the instructor’s approval. The belt is a visual sign of his hard work, discipline, and responsibility..
#10. Praise for Effort
It’s in a child’s nature to look for approval. Babies look at their parents whenever they try new things as if to check if it is ok or if they are doing it right.
Our instructors inform their students of the goals of the class, they set expectations and encourage the children to put in the effort needed to achieve those goals. They pay attention to each one and give due recognition whenever possible. Positive reinforcement and words of affirmation are necessary for the proper development of children’s behaviour and self-esteem. Students learn to value their efforts and talents
#11. Success
Success can mean different things to different people. For us, it means that we have equipped our students with enough self-esteem to lead them towards their own success. Through our martial arts training children learn strong values. They learn respect for themselves and for others. They learn to think positively, believe in their capabilities and have the confidence to face challenges. They develop the discipline needed to focus on the task at hand and work hard to achieve their goals.
Just as parents want the best for their children, we also want the best for our students. We want them to be good, happy, strong, and successful individuals who have the perfect balance of confidence and self-esteem. It is our dream that they work their strengths to find their passion and achieve their full potential. Through our school’s martial arts training and unique personal development curriculum, we will instil these values in your children. Values that will be ingrained in them for the rest of their lives.
Quick Children’s Self Esteem Checklist
Can You Find Your Child on this?
- 1. Does you child feel secure; based on clearly defined and fairly enforced boundaries, plus a safe and loving family?
- 2. Does your child feel they are special, unique, and able to achieve in a particular area?
- 3. Does your child feel that they belong (to your family, their school, or other group)?
- 4. Is your child focused and do they feel they have a purpose?
- 5. Does your child realise the importance of responsibility, goal setting and achievement?
- 6. Does your child respect him/herself, the family, friends and others?
- 7. Is your child confident enough to have independence and achieve on his own?
- 8. Does your child have the security of knowing your support is there when he needs it?
- 9. Does your child accept that it’s OK when she fails, provided she knows she gave it her best shot?
Get Started Building Your Child’s Self Esteem TODAY!
By now we realise the importance of developing a healthy selfesteem in our children. It’s an essential foundation for happiness and success – and education needs to start from an early age.
Our team work hard in developing and nurturing the selfesteem of our students.
If you’d like to see how our programs can change your child’s life by improving their self-esteem, get them started with our beginner trial today!
