The term self-esteem comes from a Greek word meaning "reverence for self." The "self" part of self-esteem pertains to the values, beliefs and attitudes that we hold about ourselves. The "esteem" part of self-esteem describes the value and worth that one gives oneself. Simplistically self-esteem is the acceptance of ourselves for who and what we are at any given time in our lives. In this paper, we will discuss the development of self-esteem and the ways of strengthening and supporting a healthy sense of self-esteem in your child. .
Although self-esteem is forming at an early age, it is not measurable before the age of five or six years old because up until this time the two functions of self-esteem-- competence and worthiness--operate independently of each other (Mruk,1995).
Between the ages of five and eight years old, self-esteem becomes increasingly defined. Children begin to make judgments about their self-worth and competence in five areas: physical appearance, social acceptance, scholastic ability, athletic and artistic skills and behavior (Harter, 1983 cited in Joseph, 1994). These five areas make up the child's global view of his/her self. Self-esteem emerges at this point in childhood because the child is able to initiate behavior with competence. He/she evaluates his or her accomplishments in terms of their worthiness and experience a process or attitude between both, competence and worthiness. (Mruk, 1995). As children age, their social contacts, life experiences and the expectations placed upon them increase accordingly. Children develop an increasing awareness of what they are able to do well, as well as what they are not able to do so well. Inevitably, self-esteem begins to affect behavior as the individual attempts to maintain and protect their sense of self-worth against the challenges, problems and experiences of life. Self-esteem acts as a filter through which we judge our performances.
