To thrive in one’s life is to flourish and prosper. The deepest desire in the hearts of parents is to see their children succeed. While success may differ in specifics from parent to parent, culture to culture, the overall picture is the same. The child becomes the best that he or she can be.

A significant part of being able to thrive in one’s life is to have a healthy dose of self-esteem. Self-esteem is the state of experiencing one’s own self-worth. It is knowing that you are of value just because you are and that you can develop this selfhood in real, tangible, and positive ways. Self-esteem tends to accompany states of directedness and motivation. It enables us to be ourselves and interact safely in the world. Self-esteem provides a stable platform for living as well as growing in our lives.

Self-esteem means self-respect. Generally speaking, the development of self-respect begins very early in life. Its’ beginnings encompass the tender looks from the immediate caregiver during infancy – the ones that tell you, nonverbally, that you really matter. Self-esteem is derived from support given during the initial assertions of selfhood, such as taking a stand at age two. It is also developed in the awkward periods of adolescence, when the reflection of peers matters the most. Self-esteem then continues to evolve in adulthood.

As a parent, you can cultivate healthy esteem in your children. There are daily opportunities to promote self-respect. It starts by being respected. By offering honorable regard to your child in the everyday events, his or her self-esteem will flourish. Practice emulating authorship verses authoritarianism in interactions. In addition, teach self-respect through modeling. Fairly early, children learn through watching, not by our words. Respect yourself, and they will learn self-respect. People who respect themselves tend to operate with the ethics of kindness and truth, rather than persisting with a need to be right.

An eight-year child named Becky once recounted the following: “Never forget that your children are your elders – in Universal time. They have come into a more complete and evolved Universe than you could ever know. And you will only know that Universe through their eyes.” Think about it.