Country Roads
Growing a Child's Self Esteem
09:33, Friday, January 27, 2006
.. 0 comments
.. Link
As I mentioned in my previous post, Friday is our fun day. It is also a day
filled with choices for my girls. Not only do they have their normal choices of
what outfit to wear, how to fix their hair and what fruit they have with
breakfast, they have a day filled with esteem-building choices such as how to
spend their well-earned money and what to cook for dinner.
When the girls and I go browsing houseware and fabric stores on Friday we always have a list of what we need (and want). The girls have only the money they have earned so they must make wise choices on how they spend their money. They know that if they purchase the first thing they see, they might miss out on a better deal in another store. This is an invaluable lesson for children to learn. How to make wise purchasing choices. We usually walk through several questions to see if the item they desire is something they should indeed buy.
Here is our list of questions:
Is it on our list? (If not, the item usually goes back on the shelf.)
Is it on sale? (If not, we wait until it is.)
Do we have enough money for the purchase?
Is there something else on our list we would rather have? (This takes a few minutes to consider. I usually ask the girls, "would you rather have this teacup or some fabric with which you can sew?" It helps them learn to prioritize their desires.)
Are you absolutely sure, without a doubt, that you want to spend your hard-earned money on this item?
If all of these questions are answered in a positive way, with thought, then the purchase is made. They have yet to be disappointed using this system.
On a side note, when we get ready to leave for our shopping expedition, the girls get their money out of the piggy banks. I always require them to leave 1 or 2 dollars behind that won't be spent. This does two things: first, it teaches them they don't have to spend every dime they have; and, it teaches them to put money back.
The second self-esteem builder of the day is making dinner for the family. This really begins on the preceding weekend when the girls determine what they would like to make. They each alternate cooking duties, one week one cooks the dinner and the other cooks dessert. The next week they swap. The decision making process involves choosing a meal (and dessert), reading the recipe (they do this themselves), and determining if it is something they can easily do with minimal help from me. Once a choice is final, a grocery list is made. The girls look through the pantry and refrigerator to see what we have already. If they need something special, it goes on the list.
Tuesday mornings we go to the grocers to purchase what they need for Friday's dinner. They each carry their own list and make the choices as to what exactly is purchased. They have learned to read ingredient lists and compare prices. The skills they learn by making dinner for the family will last them a life time. Also, they develop confidence by being productive, contributing members of the family.
Both of my girls are extremely confident and when they take the time to make a decision, they seldom change their mind.
Take the time to let your children learn how to develop life skills. Not only will their self esteem increase because of what they learn to do; they will also learn skills that will last them well into adult life.
When the girls and I go browsing houseware and fabric stores on Friday we always have a list of what we need (and want). The girls have only the money they have earned so they must make wise choices on how they spend their money. They know that if they purchase the first thing they see, they might miss out on a better deal in another store. This is an invaluable lesson for children to learn. How to make wise purchasing choices. We usually walk through several questions to see if the item they desire is something they should indeed buy.
Here is our list of questions:
Is it on our list? (If not, the item usually goes back on the shelf.)
Is it on sale? (If not, we wait until it is.)
Do we have enough money for the purchase?
Is there something else on our list we would rather have? (This takes a few minutes to consider. I usually ask the girls, "would you rather have this teacup or some fabric with which you can sew?" It helps them learn to prioritize their desires.)
Are you absolutely sure, without a doubt, that you want to spend your hard-earned money on this item?
If all of these questions are answered in a positive way, with thought, then the purchase is made. They have yet to be disappointed using this system.
On a side note, when we get ready to leave for our shopping expedition, the girls get their money out of the piggy banks. I always require them to leave 1 or 2 dollars behind that won't be spent. This does two things: first, it teaches them they don't have to spend every dime they have; and, it teaches them to put money back.
The second self-esteem builder of the day is making dinner for the family. This really begins on the preceding weekend when the girls determine what they would like to make. They each alternate cooking duties, one week one cooks the dinner and the other cooks dessert. The next week they swap. The decision making process involves choosing a meal (and dessert), reading the recipe (they do this themselves), and determining if it is something they can easily do with minimal help from me. Once a choice is final, a grocery list is made. The girls look through the pantry and refrigerator to see what we have already. If they need something special, it goes on the list.
Tuesday mornings we go to the grocers to purchase what they need for Friday's dinner. They each carry their own list and make the choices as to what exactly is purchased. They have learned to read ingredient lists and compare prices. The skills they learn by making dinner for the family will last them a life time. Also, they develop confidence by being productive, contributing members of the family.
Both of my girls are extremely confident and when they take the time to make a decision, they seldom change their mind.
Take the time to let your children learn how to develop life skills. Not only will their self esteem increase because of what they learn to do; they will also learn skills that will last them well into adult life.
Leave a Comment
{ Last Page } { Page 5 of 6 } { Next Page }
About Me
My Profile
Archives
Friends
My Photo Album
Links
Old Fashioned TimesHome Made Simplicity
No Place LIke Home
Ravenhill Cottage
Beneath the Shady Oak
Blessings in the South
Lilac Veranda
Tasha Tudor
Categories
Recent Entries
Photos?Welcome!
December is Here!
Errand Day
Growing a Child's Self Esteem