I hate to say it, my friends, but summer doesn’t last forever and the back to school talk is starting. Parents also want their kids to return to the classroom feeling good about the year ahead. They also want their kids to feel good about themselves. While you can’t just pick up a packet of “self-esteem” between the folders and the glue in the back to school section at Target, there are some things you can do now as a family to build your child’s self-esteem before the first day back.
I adore Dr. Michele Borba, internationally recognized educational psychologist, parenting expert and award-winning author of 22 parenting and educational books, including UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Success in Our All-About Me World, as readers of this blog likely know. She notes that between ages 9 and 12, kids often have a big self-esteem drop. To counter that, she developed this Wicked Cool Bucket List for parents to use together with their kids as a guide for building confidence in partnership with Tom’s of Maine.
You can download and print your own Tom’s of Maine Wicked Cool Bucket List here.
One thing I really appreciate this list is that it isn’t solely about the child. Reaching out to others, being an agent for good, expressing gratitude and speaking with awesome adults are activities that not only build self-esteem but also build community. That’s a win-win!
Those activities are great at any age. In fact, I’ll be using this list with my daughter, who is now a teen and in high school. We have less than a month to go before the first bell rings. I’m sure we can complete the list, and it’ll be good for us both!
Here’s to our kids confidently entering a new academic year!
Disclosure: I didn’t receive any compensation for this post. I just really like Dr. Borba and think this is a great list. I did include an Amazon affiliate link to her book. That means I get a small commission if you purchase it through that link. If a few of you do, it may cover the cost of a cup of iced coffee and that gives me the energy to keep the blog going!
Prior Post: ComedySportz Chicago turns 30: How a night of improv impacted my parenting perspective
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