Parents are given the great privilege to speak things into the lives of their children. However, the words parents say will either make of break the self-esteem of kids, and will help them shape their future.
Self-esteem can be defined by how much a person values his or herself. Parents have the important task of helping their kids build up their self-confidence early in life, and they have one of the most powerful tools on-hand: words.
Aleasa Word, an internationally certified emotional coach and editor for Raising Boys on The Good Men Project, shares that there are three often-unspoken words that are powerful enough to help your kids as they grow in life.
In a society that throws various negative messages day after day, today's kids are battered with damaging thoughts and concepts. Building your kids' self-esteem will pay off, and will enable them to live past feelings of inadequacy that are often hidden from others.
Word said "commercials tell us we are not thin enough, rich enough, pretty enough, fit enough, man enough, woman enough, straight enough, gay enough, conservative enough, liberal enough, cultured enough, tall enough, smart enough and more." Such concepts batter kids and without a strongly built self-esteem, they just might break.
She added that the idea that "you are not enough" may also be communicated even without saying a word. When a child goes home with bad grades, the message that they receive is "you're not good enough or smart enough" either intentionally or not.
Kids who have low self-esteem may not want to try new things, hindering their ability to explore, and may say negative things against themselves. They see temporary setbacks as permanent, debilitating conditions, and will prevent them from excelling. Kids who have high self-esteem, on the other hand, are optimistic, and do not belittle themselves when faced with failure.
Parents must realize that words said or not said do have an impact in children's lives. It's not too late to start telling your kids "you are enough" and help build them up, so that they will live better lives, confident that they have what it takes to be great.
Take for instance Nelson Mandela, the great South African president who fought against racial oppression, who knew the power of words to impact "the way people live and die." Because of this, he took them very seriously, and with them fought for human rights and racial equality. Your words just might build your child up to be the next hero this nation will need.
Read more: Here's Why You Should Let Kids Be Kids
