Fostering Self-Esteem
Adrian H. Cline, Superintendent
June 11, 2002
Teenagers’ lives are rife with physical and emotional changes, some of which can have a negative effect on self-esteem. Low self-esteem leads to a degraded self-image and can have a negative impact on a teenager’s quality of life. Parents play an important role in the development of self-esteem, and with a little awareness can help their children live happier, healthier lives.
All children thrive on praise, which is especially important during the adolescent years. A parent can help to bolster a child’s confidence simply by offering praise for a job well done. A good way parents can show praise indirectly is to spend time with their children. Children who receive constructive and meaningful praise tend to grow into more confident teenagers than those who do not.
Allowing teenagers to make their own decisions teaches responsibility and shows them that they are trusted. Negative criticism should be kept to a minimum during the volatile teen years. However, do not rush in to rescue your teenager from a frustrating experience. Rather, encourage him or her to solve the problem independently and offer assistance if it is needed. Letting children try and fail, then try again and succeed, builds strong and lasting feelings of self worth, which leads to higher self-esteem.
Giving adolescents a chance to make a positive contribution to the family can also help raise self-esteem. Assign age-appropriate chores and projects and let them work without interference. If you feel their performance is lacking, try to hold any nagging or sermonizing at bay. Instead, approach them with an open mind and give subtle encouragement. Try humor; it is an effective means of communication, especially during times of tension. If you have more than one child in your household, avoid comparing their performances or measuring them against each other. Teenagers who feel that their parents trust and believe in them have higher self-esteem and tend to be more successful in their pursuits as adults.
Self-esteem affects how teenagers interact with others, how they approach new tasks, and how they deal with life’s challenges, pressures, and stresses. Teenagers with high self-esteem believe strongly in themselves and enjoy a high level of self-respect. Studies show that they may even suffer fewer illnesses. Keep your children healthy and happy--help them develop self-esteem.
In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation establishing Flag Day as an official celebration. Thirty-three years later, in 1949, the celebration was turned into a national observance when President Harry S. Truman signed an act of Congress designating June 14 as National Flag Day. The date was selected to coincide with the official adoption of The Stars and Stripes as the symbol of the United States. On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act, which stated “That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation. ”
Schoolteachers were elemental in the inception of Flag Day. In 1885, B.J. Digrand, a teacher in Fredonia, Wisconsin, arranged for pupils to observe June 14 as Flag Birthday. Four years later, New York City kindergarten teacher George Balch planned ceremonies to observe Flag Day, which was later adopted by the State Board of Education of New York. Similar observances spread throughout New York, Pennsylvania, and Chicago before the turn of the century. In 1914, Secretary of the Interior Franklin K. Lane delivered a Flag Day speech in which he quoted the flag itself: “I am what you make me; nothing more. I swing before your eyes as a bright gleam of color, a symbol of yourself.”
Although legend and tradition have it that Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia seamstress, made the first American flag, no one can identify with absolute certainty the original designer. It seems most likely that Congressman Francis Hopkinson had a hand in designing it.
At this point in U.S. history, following the events of September 11, 2001, the American flag has regained import and impact. Waving over the ruins of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the stars and stripes serve as a reminder of American strength, loyalty, and unity.
The Office of Adrian H. Cline, Superintendent of Schools, is open from 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Monday – Friday. Visit the district web site at: www.desotoschools.com