The 6 Most Important Tips for Raising Your Child To Be Proud Of Who They Are

By Kendra Arevalo

Today’s society can make raising your child feel like you’re fighting a never-ending battle, always protecting your kid from the pressures of whatever the current beauty standard is.  But in order to raise your child to ignore what society wants them to be and instead grow into who they’re actually meant to become, you’ll need to employ a few simple tips.  Here are the six most important pieces of advice to follow to help your kid be proud of who they are:

Teach them about all kinds of beauty

Beauty is so much more than just what’s on the outside.  Teenagers today are held to such ridiculous beauty standards that change on an almost daily basis.  It’s not about wearing the latest style or copying Kylie Jenner’s eye makeup with microscopic precision; true beauty is about what’s inside of you.  Show your kids that the most beautiful thing about them is finding out who they are and showing that to the outside world. 

A kid who has a vibrant personality, who finds the things they love to do and pursues them with all their heart- now that’s a real beauty.  If you can teach your kid to express who they are with confidence, they’ll see that it’s their attitude and what they can give others that makes them truly beautiful.

Show them that they are enough

Kids today are under so much pressure, doing whatever it takes to either fit in or stand out in just the right way.  Whether your child is a wallflower or loves the spotlight, they are enough just the way they are.  Remind them on a frequent basis that they don’t need anything to complete themselves. 

While everyone needs to have goals to work towards, show your kid that they are good enough right here, right now.  Help them find that balance between wanting to be a better person and accepting the person in the mirror.

Work on yourself

The only way to raise our children to believe in themselves is to lead by example.  Kids watch everything we do, so as a parent you can’t just talk the talk- you have to walk the walk.  Wanting your kid to love him or herself requires that you do the same.  This is easy in theory but can be tough in action, so spend some time working on self-love.

Be a role model for healthy behaviour and good choices.  If you frequently lose your temper, don’t be surprised when your kid starts slamming doors!  If you can regulate your emotions, however, your children will learn how to express themselves appropriately without lashing out.

Create open and honest channels of communication

Children need an opportunity to be heard.  Schedule regular family meetings in order to establish checkpoints for your children to share their feelings.  If you give them an outlet for them to express themselves, they’ll be much less likely to act out in order to receive attention.

Creating an open dialogue also gives you an opportunity to broach difficult topics with your kids without it seeming like it’s coming out of nowhere.  No one wants to be sat down by their parents and talked through the birds and the bees, but if regular open and honest dialogue is an established part of your relationship, it’ll make it so much easier.

Allow them to make their own choices

If you give your kid an opportunity to be involved in the decision-making process, they’ll be that much more likely to go with the flow.  Allowing your children the freedom to choose certain things lets them feel like they’re in control of their lives.  This can be an incredibly powerful motivator for them to go after what they truly want. 

Letting your kid choose things like extracurricular activities and what musical instrument to play will make them far more disciplined than forcing them into an activity they don’t want to do.  On another note, if you let them choose their own punishments for when they misbehave, they’ll be way less likely to break the rules!

Promote a healthy body image

This one isn’t just for your daughters; sons too can benefit from having parents who instill in them a healthy body image.  Everyone in adolescence goes through an awkward period where they’re uncomfortable with how they look.  In order for your kid to grow to be comfortable with their body, you need to be mindful about the way you talk about their body as well as your own.  Never make negative comments about your body, because a negative self-image will pass down to your children. 

When talking to your kids about diet and exercise, focus on their health benefits rather than the effect they have on weight.  If you make eating a balanced diet and exercising into a health goal rather than a way to change appearance, your child will have a much healthier relationship to food and exercise.  And be sure to talk to them about the way the media influences our view of ourselves because they’re bound to be exposed to it in one form or another.  If they have you to guide them through the awkwardness of those teenage years, they won’t need to turn to the media and television for validation.

Conclusion

       Every parent wants his or her child to grow up to be happy and healthy.  With all of the noise out there telling your kids that they need to be this way or that in order to be loved, it’s more important than ever for parents to take an active role in shaping their kid’s view of themselves.  Help them figure out who they truly are and give them the courage and the freedom to show that person to the world.  Only then can they truly be proud of who they are; and really, what more does a parent want for their child?