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Establishing a
STRONG sense
The sense of self can be defined as how you describe and identify
yourself and includes your view of your abilities as well as your values.
If your child has a strong sense of self, she is more likely to succeed
academically in school and less likely to become a target for bullies.
The negative behavior of others or experiencing failure is not as
likely to distract your child from working towards her goals or from
upholding her values if she has a strong sense of self.
The foundation for a sturdy sense of self is established in infancy. Even
though infants don’t have a sense of self-awareness, the bonding
between an infant and her parents helps lay this foundation. A baby
whose parents respond to her cues and consistently spend time
interacting with her in a positive way by returning her smile, for
example, knows she is loved and worth the attention of others.
By age 2, your child has developed a self-awareness and is beginning
to see herself from the perspective of others. One sign your toddler
is self-aware is the use of words like ‘Me!’ or ‘Mine!’. During early
childhood, your child begins forming a description of who she is and
starts writing an internal autobiography, so to speak, that is added
to continuously by her life experiences. Parents play a crucial part
by providing the opportunities and encouragement necessary for
HOO’s INSPIRED
their young child to discover her interests and her strengths. Parents
also provide the support their young child needs so she is not
discouraged by failure.
Surprisingly, young kids between the ages of 4 and 7 are able to
analyze their achievements and form a sense of self on a level
very similar to that of older kids and adults, according to a study
performed by New York University and published in the journal Science
Daily in August 2017. This finding shows that even preschoolers can
have their self-image impacted
by failure. This study
reinforces the
impor tance
of staying
in tune with
your child’s
sense of self
by spending
time each day,
distraction-free,
to listen to her
describe both her
accomplishments
and her setbacks.
SELF
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