Early Childhood Education

 The need for building self-esteem, in young children, is a perennial topic among early childhood educators. Self-esteem is often defined as a personal judgment of worthiness or unworthiness, approval or disapproval that is expressed in the attitudes individuals have toward themselves. Psychotherapists can provide volumes of files about people whose basic problems relate to low self-esteem and low self-respect. Developing a healthy self-esteem is important, experts say, because this particular emotional need influences our personal lives in areas such as behavior, learning, and goal-setting. Self-esteem also affects our relationships with others. A person who has high self-esteem feels more lovable and special, and, for those reasons, is also better equipped to relate well with others. 

 As adult Christians, we should be aware of the importance of loving ourselves. Through our Catholic Faith we know that we are lovable because God, who is love, created us in his image (Genesis 1:27). We know we are unique because of the precious gifts and qualities God has created in each of us (Romans 12:3-8). We know that we are special because Christ redeemed us (1 Peter 1:18-19) and through baptism we became adopted children of God and heirs to his kingdom (Romans 8:14-17).

Young children are in the early stages of developing their self-concept and need to experience their own significance by first realizing that they are worthy of attention, affection, and acceptance. Teachers can support parents by providing a loving and caring classroom atmosphere in which the children feel a sense of belonging, a sense of security, and a sense of accomplishment. In addition, frequently calling the children by name, establishing predictable routines, and offering both verbal and non-verbal praise and encouragement reinforce a safe environment. Most important, your smile and gentle manner can help establish a relationship of trust with the children that will demonstrate your love for them. In this type of teaching atmosphere, the children can feel good about themselves and will experience God's love for them through you.

 As life progresses, we discover that God has created in each of us talents and qualities that make us special. Young children enjoy discovering their uniqueness when, for example, they identify their hair color, eye color, and smiles in a mirror. Young children also take pride in demonstrating activities that they can accomplish independently. Putting emphasis on the development of children's self-esteem is desirable, as long as we also teach them that it is God who provided these qualities, talents, and capabilities; and then, through prayer and song, we can lead the children to praise and thank God for their individual gifts.

For young children, who are just emerging out of their natural egocentric state, the starting point is with the children's self-concept. The challenge for parents and teachers is to affirm and build upon the children's self-esteem and, then, to guide them to interact with others with the same kind of positive attitude and love that the children have for themselves.