Children Self-Esteem Discussion

Children’s self-esteem was highlighted in the chapter. It is an important trait. However, many in psychology believe that we may have taken this concept too far in our society. You may have heard of the self-esteem movement that states you can increase a child’s self-esteem through praising and complimenting them or having them compliment themselves, even in the absence of success on a task (e.g., “everybody gets a trophy”). In modern society, we now have schools without grades, t-ball games with no winning teams, high schools without valedictorians, etc. The rationale for these ideas stems from the assumption that those who do not achieve will feel bad about themselves. Now, watch the following two videos:

johnj2428. (2009, January 29). Feel Good About Failure 1 [Video]. YouTube.

johnj2428. (2009, January 29). Feel Good About Failure 2 [Video]. YouTube.

After watching the videos comment on your beliefs regarding this issue. Do you believe that self-esteem can be enhanced as highlighted in the videos? Do you have any issues with this assumption? Please make sure to reply to at least one other post. Always make sure to be polite and respectful when responding to another class-mates post!