Low self-esteem in children

It is sometimes easy to tell if  a child feels good about herself  or not. The  idea of feeling good about yourself is known as self-esteem.  Children  who have self-esteem tend to :

• Feel loved and valued
• Feel proud of a job well done
• Feel confident that they can do what is expected
• Think good things about themselves
• Feel prepared for everyday challenges

However it is also possible that a child has low self-esteem . In this case, the  child may exhibit these signs .

• The child may avoid a test or challenge even before trying.  This is often a sign of fear of failure or sense  of helplessness.
• She quits  soon after beginning a task or game and gives up at the first sight of frustrations.
• The child focuses on the times they’ve failed rather than succeeded.
• She has difficulty accepting praise or criticism.
• She feels insecure and not as good as other kids.
• The child experiences mood swings, exhibiting sadness, crying, angry outbursts, frustration, or quietness.
• The child experiences grade decline  in school and loses interest in different activities.
• She withdraws from social activities and is less interested  in friends.
• She shows signs of regression and acts like a baby or very silly .
• The child is very concerned  about people’s opinion about her.
• She is either overly helpful or never helpful at home.
• She is affected by negative peer influence, adopting attitudes and behaviors like dislike for school, shoplifting, acting disrespectful, cutting class  or experimenting with alcohol, tobacco or drugs.
• She cheats and lies whenever she’s losing a game or doing poorly.