Your Child's Self Esteem, a Family Affair. Unit for Child Studies Selected Papers Number 7.

Two lectures on the topic of self-esteem are provided. The purposes of the first lecture are to help parents and professionals better appreciate themselves as support persons and to help them develop and practice skills which will lead to building positive self-esteem both within themselves and others. Five activities are provided to further understanding of how expressions of ordinary language can positively or negatively influence self-esteem. Four ways parents may respond to a parenting situation (nurturing, structuring, inviting dependence, or criticizing) are identified and described. Concluding sections of the first lecture provide guidelines for enhancing the self-esteem of adults and point out characteristics of self-accepting persons. The purpose of the second lecture is to provide seminar participants with an opportunity to consider activities directed toward the development of positive attitudes in children. The importance of significant others at home and in school for the development of children's self-esteem is emphasized. Developing children's awareness of their physical being, emphasizing their strengths, and promoting their awareness of others are among the activities advocated. In conclusion, a list of general suggestions for helping children attain a positive orientation toward themselves, a list of positive support techniques for use by teachers, and a list of activities and events that develop self-awareness and build self-esteem; are provided. (Author/RH)