Montessori Childrens House
of the west coast

Show Gratitude and Appreciation

Posted on Monday, December 08, 2008

Your child’s self-esteem will benefit immensely from your expressions of gratitude and appreciation for his productive behavior, activities, and work.  Say thank-you when he sets the table, cleans up after himself or when she waits patiently.  Your child will also learn from comments about the natural consequences of his actions. These are events that happen without parental intervention such as “If you throw your food on the floor, you may not have anything left on your plate that you like to eat”, or “if you are not kind to your friend he may not want to play with you”.

Be careful not to talk to others in his presence as if he is not there, especially if you are talking about him or something he is aware of.  Furthermore, allow your child to answer questions that are presented to him by others, that concern your child and that are asked in his presence (assuming they address a matter that he developmentally capable of answering).  Believe in your child’s own process and inherent capabilities.  Children will pick up on your appreciation and confidence in their abilities and in turn grow in confidence and self-esteem.