Lack of confidence, fear of failure, tendency to devalue oneself… Self-esteem is built from childhood and plays a key role in future development. A fun exercise, shared by a positive parenting specialist, can help children reveal their inner strengths.
Why self-esteem is crucial from childhood
When a child lacks self-confidence, this often manifests itself as withdrawal, a fear of taking initiatives or difficulty expressing his needs. He may also have a tendency to compare himself negatively to others and downplay his successes. However, good self-esteem is essential to move forward peacefully in life, to dare to try, to make mistakes and to learn.
Author, speaker and creator of the media Papapositive.fr, Jean-François Belmonte insists on the importance of supporting children in the discovery of their own resources. On his Instagram account, he shares a simple exercise accessible to all to sustainably strengthen self-esteem.
The hero exercise, a mirror of inner strengths
The exercise begins with a fun instruction: ask the child to draw their hero. It could be an imaginary character, a known superhero, or even a real person he admires. Once the drawing is completed, the child is invited to list all the qualities and strengths of this hero: curiosity, intelligence, self-confidence, leadership, sense of humor, ability to manage emotions, honesty or even altruism.
Then comes the key, almost magical sentence: “You can only admire qualities in someone that you already have in yourself.” Gradually, the child understands that the strengths he attributes to his hero are also present in him, sometimes still discreet, but very real. The hero then becomes a reflection of himself.
Words that build trust every day
Beyond one-off exercises, caring communication plays a fundamental role in the development of self-esteem. Simple sentences can have a profound impact: “I believe in you”“I love you as you are”“You have the right to be wrong.”“Your ideas count” or even “I learn from you”.
By feeling listened to, respected and loved unconditionally, the child feels legitimate and important. Encouraging them in their successes as well as their failures, without minimizing their emotions, offers them an essential base of emotional security. It is on this solid foundation that he will be able to develop his confidence and dare to move forward on his own.