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What Are the Best Tips for Personal Development in Children?

Patti Kate
Patti Kate

Parents can encourage personal growth in children by being supportive and allowing them the freedom to experience new things. Along with positive reinforcement, children need positive role models in their lives to respect and emulate. Teachers can also play a key role in helping a child's psychological development, and act as mentors. Building self-esteem is a fundamental aspect of personal development in children, because a good self-image helps a child succeed.

Setting a good example in the home or at school is essential. Adopting the attitude of "do as I say, not as I do" is counterproductive. For instance, a parent who tells a child that smoking is bad for his health while continuing to smoke himself, is sending mixed signals to his child. Likewise, a child is unlikely to establish strong self-esteem if his parent lacks confidence in his own abilities. Teaching personal development requires responsibility.

Group activities, such as playing board games, can help children develop social skills.
Group activities, such as playing board games, can help children develop social skills.

There may come a time in a child's life when he experiences personal conflict or low self-esteem. Learning effective ways of self-improvement is a normal process in child development. While it might not be possible to change physical features, there are ways to improve certain aspects of his personality with determination and self-discipline. It is the child's character that defines the person he is, and this is something that needs to be instilled.

Encouraging responsibility may lead to success in school.
Encouraging responsibility may lead to success in school.

Personal development in children requires them to take on age-appropriate responsibilities. From the time a child is old enough to comprehend, he needs to learn order. Learning to accept a set of guidelines and rules, and show respect for those who establish them is a vital part of personal development in children. A parent shouldn't back down when issuing appropriate punishment if the rules are broken. Leniency doesn't help a child's personal growth and development, although consistency does.

Setting a good example for children while at school is crucial.
Setting a good example for children while at school is crucial.

Encouraging imagination and creativity can help promote personal development in children. Playing house is one example of how role playing can encourage growth and development in children. Children who engage in role-play activities often show a better understanding of how these functions influence daily life. This can be accomplished by observing the real-life duties of parents and other adults.

Parents and primary caregivers can help young children learn to recognize and deal with emotions in a positive way.
Parents and primary caregivers can help young children learn to recognize and deal with emotions in a positive way.

Older children may benefit from taking courses in personal development. These programs are designed to help pre-teens and teenagers achieve their goals through self-discipline and self-confidence. Stress and anger management courses may also be a part of a personal development program. Software programs created for personal development in children are also available online.

Discussion Comments

croydon

@umbra21 - You have to keep the praise consistent as well. I think it's just as dangerous for a child's personal development to have their parents moving the goal posts all the time.

If you don't feel like your parents love you no matter what, or that your A grade might not be worth anything to them this time, you would be much less likely to try hard. Or maybe you will start to try too hard and lose your sense of proportion.

It's difficult to be consistent with your kids when you are having a bad day yourself. But I think it's important to try.

umbra21

I really think that consistency is the main thing to take into account here.

I know this isn't the most popular opinion, but I personally think that spanking kids isn't all that bad. What is bad is when a parent does that out of anger, or spite, or does it inconsistently.

I think that leads to the wrong kind of personal development, because it leads to them thinking it's OK to act out in anger, or on a whim.

It also leads to kids who think their parents don't love them, or kids who think they aren't worth much to their parents, which is sad.

If you explain that this action leads to this punishment, and keep that consistent, kids do much better.

browncoat

There is something that I remember clearly from my childhood, which I think went a long way to making me the person I am today.

My mother had a temper and would occasionally blow up at us over something. Sometimes we deserved it, sometimes we probably didn't.

What meant the world to me, was that she would apologize. She'd never let us off the hook if we had done something wrong, but she would genuinely tell us she was sorry for yelling.

This wasn't a daily event or anything. But I remember thinking that she was the best mother ever, because she was willing to admit that she made mistakes as well, and that we were all in this together.

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    • Group activities, such as playing board games, can help children develop social skills.
      By: Ilike
      Group activities, such as playing board games, can help children develop social skills.
    • Encouraging responsibility may lead to success in school.
      By: sumnersgraphicsinc
      Encouraging responsibility may lead to success in school.
    • Setting a good example for children while at school is crucial.
      By: air
      Setting a good example for children while at school is crucial.
    • Parents and primary caregivers can help young children learn to recognize and deal with emotions in a positive way.
      By: Tom Wang
      Parents and primary caregivers can help young children learn to recognize and deal with emotions in a positive way.
    • There are many software programs that can help with personal development available online.
      By: Monkey Business
      There are many software programs that can help with personal development available online.
    • Teaching responsibility and self-discipline may help children with their personal development.
      By: sneksy13
      Teaching responsibility and self-discipline may help children with their personal development.
    • Building self-esteem is a crucial part of development in children.
      By: Michael Flippo
      Building self-esteem is a crucial part of development in children.
    • Children benefit from having consistency in their lives.
      By: karelnoppe
      Children benefit from having consistency in their lives.
    • Learning effective way of self-imporvement is a normal process in child development.
      By: Rob
      Learning effective way of self-imporvement is a normal process in child development.
    • Children can learn the importance of competition by playing in a youth league.
      By: Actionpics
      Children can learn the importance of competition by playing in a youth league.
    • A healthy level of self-esteem is essential to a child's overall well-being.
      By: WavebreakMediaMicro
      A healthy level of self-esteem is essential to a child's overall well-being.
    • Getting a pet might help a child learn the responsibility of taking care of something other than themselves.
      By: Сергей Чирков
      Getting a pet might help a child learn the responsibility of taking care of something other than themselves.