Student Wellbeing

Supporting Your Child’s Self-Esteem

Self-esteem plays a crucial role in a child’s development, influencing their mental health, academic performance, and social interactions. When children have a healthy sense of self-esteem, they are better equipped to face challenges and pursue their goals with confidence. As parents and teachers, we can foster self-esteem in children through supportive environments and engaging activities.

Why Self-Esteem Matters Self-esteem refers to how a person values and perceives themselves. For children, high self-esteem leads to a positive self-image, confidence in their abilities, and a willingness to try new experiences. On the other hand, low self-esteem can result in anxiety, depression, and hesitancy to explore new opportunities. Supporting self-esteem from an early age is essential to a child's well-being and success.

Here are some practical tips to help foster self-esteem in children:

• Provide Unconditional Love and Support
  Spend consistent, quality time with your child to help them feel secure and valued. Children need to know they are loved regardless of their achievements. Show affection, listen actively, and offer reassurance during tough times.
• Set Realistic Goals and Celebrate Achievements
  Help your child set achievable, age-appropriate goals. Celebrate their progress and accomplishments, whether big or small, to build their confidence and sense of success.
• Encourage Independence and Decision-Making
  Give children the opportunity to make decisions, such as choosing their clothes or helping plan a family activity. This fosters independence and self-reliance, while also respecting their choices.
• Provide Constructive Feedback
  Focus on effort and specific aspects of tasks rather than just outcomes. Use positive, encouraging language when giving feedback, and suggest ways for your child to improve without damaging their self-esteem.
• Create a Positive and Inclusive Environment
  Ensure your child feels a sense of belonging by promoting inclusivity. Encourage them to participate in activities that involve all children, and address issues like bullying or exclusion swiftly and effectively.
• Model Positive Self-Esteem
  Children learn by observing adults. Demonstrate self-confidence and self-acceptance in your actions and words. Share stories of your own challenges and how you overcame them to inspire resilience.
• Create Unique Family Routines
  Simple, special family moments—like reading a bedtime story or cooking a meal together—can give children a deeper sense of belonging and importance within the family.

There’s more to come in our newsletter: We will continue to share more tips and resources in this term’s newsletter to help you support your child’s self-esteem. Together, we can ensure every child feels confident, supported, and ready to thrive!

How can I use GROWTH MINDSET questions to develop my child’s self-esteem?

Encouraging your child to have a growth mindset can support the development of positive self-esteem. Children with a growth mindset are more likely to believe in themselves and their abilities and strive to achieve their goals. 

Safe Socials – For parents and carers (Primary)

The Department of Education has released a webpage full of tips and resources for parents, carers and families to support primary school students to be safe when using social media.

You can access the website by click this link :

https://www.vic.gov.au/safe-socials-parents-and-carers-primary

Mpower Girls Program

The end of term 3 saw the completion of the Mpower girls program for selected students across the grade 5 cohort. The Mpower girls program ran over the majority of Term 3 and was aimed at getting female students to be more mindful of how they think, talk and act towards each other. Each student was given specific skills to effectively problem solve peer issues, to be assertive in conflict situations, reduce stereotyping and be more mindful of how their actions affect their peers.

I would like to say a big congratulations to the following students:

Muheeda 5E, Taqwa 5B, Minal 5D, Asma 5E, Jennifer 5C, Maella 5D, Selena 5E, Haley 5C