Self Esteem
Building self-esteem and confidence in childhood and adolescence is essential to a happy healthy life. Give your boys and girls the tools that they need for a successful future.
Our purpose is to encourage the development of strength, courage, confidence, honesty and communication skills for girls and boys.
Our goal is to enhance both girls and boys abilities so they are able to take full advantage of their talents, academic interests, career pursuits and potential for healthy relationships.
Children attend one night a week for 90 minute sessions. Please reference schedule.
What is self-esteem? Self (you) Esteem (to like a lot). Self-esteem means you really like yourself a lot, both inside and out. It refers both to how you look and what you believe in. Self-esteem is your opinion of yourself...high self-esteem is a good opinion of yourself...low self-esteem is a bad opinion of yourself.
Factors that can contribute to self-esteem problems:
- appearance (self-image)
- peers
- parents, teachers, authority figures
- unrealistic expectations
Does your child have low self-esteem? Does your child exhibit one or more of the following warning signs of low self-esteem?
- avoid trying new activities or challenges
- say things like “I am so stupid”
- quickly quit activities as soon as he starts to have a problem or get frustrated
- lie or cheat to win game
- act in a controlling or bossy way
- say things like “I am a loser”
- make excuses when things don’t go well, like it is the teachers fault that he failed a quiz
- have trouble getting/taking compliments or praise
- get very concerned about what people think of him
- say things like “I always make mistakes”
- think of himself as being less important than others
- assume he is wrong when someone challenges him about things he believes
- think that he doesn’t have any friends because no one would want to be friends with him
- act like the “class clown” to cover up when he feels insecure
- think that he is too short, tall, skinny, fat, ugly, etc.
- get easily influenced by negative peer pressure, such as skipping school, stealing, smoking, etc.
- frequently feel terrified that he is going to make a mistake or fail at things he does try
- say things like “I never do anything right”
- frequently feel helpless and waits for other people to bail him out when he has problems
- think of his feelings as being less important than those of others
If you answered yes to any of the above, the Inspire Success Inc. Self-esteem Program can provide your child with the necessary support to build the strength, confidence and encouragement needed to foster self-esteem and build skills for future success.
Our Self-Esteem programs are the first of there kind within the London area. Self-esteem has been proven to peak in grade 4 and drop off significantly starting in grade 5. It is becoming more apparent that the age of onset is becoming younger and younger within today’s society as a result of modern pressures on our children. Being able to reach children at a younger age is seen as a preventative measure...an opportunity to foster success at an early age. When working with the teen population our programming provides a more “therapeutic spin” in an effort to counteract already instilled negative perceptions and experiences for some.
Girl`s Self-Esteem Program Outline:
Note: Weekly groups begin with “circle time” for all ages. The girls then split into smaller groups and the curriculum is modified where necessary to fit their developmental stage.
Friendship: Groundbreaking program that addresses exclusion, intolerance, and feuding. Confronts relational aggression and shores girls up with strong interpersonal skills; knocks down barriers to pride, confidence, and empathy. Themes include topics such as: Being Included, Being Left Out & Feuds, Followers & Fairness. Increases caring and relational competence.
Being a Girl: Introduces girls to the positive experience of a support circle addressing topics such as: Growing Up Female, Growth and Self-Care & Female Role Models. Activities include collage, affirmations, and theme-related crafts.
Body Image: Examines cultural messages and personal beliefs that influence body image. Themes emphasize raising awareness, recognizing body signals, and exploring underlying causes of poor body image. Topics cover physical awareness, health and emotional balance through media exploration, imagery, art, personal story telling and more. Excellent prevention program.
Honouring Our Diversity: Recognizes girls’ varied cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds emphasizing positive identity and alliance building. Includes discussions and activities that cover topics such as: Stereotype Busting, Beyond Fear, Cultural Treasures, and Culture Clash and includes a community advocacy exercise. Themes focus on appreciating diversity in girls’ lives by identifying biases, developing navigational tools in a multicultural society and promoting understanding and respect within and between groups. Guide includes a girl’s journal for weekly reflection.
Relationship with Peers: Enhances girls’ awareness of their relationships with themselves and others. Themes include: Expressing Myself, Accepting Different Parts of Myself, Giving Voice to Feelings, Romantic Relationships, Girlfights or Girlfriends and are complimented by activities such as journaling, role-play, sculpting and more.
Mind, Body, Spirit: This excellent prevention program addresses alcohol, tobacco, and drug decision making as well as healthy sexuality, promoting abstinence and/or reduction to high-risk behaviours by exploring the realities of risk and the power of self-care. Helps girls’ examine and evaluate choices through affirmations, role-play, media influence, journal writing, videos and more. Addresses sexuality, decision-making and definitions of infatuation, desire, and love through real teen stores, music messages and personal standards activity. Outstanding prevention program that promotes critical thinking and is much enjoyed by girls!
Expressing My Individuality: Explores topics such as celebrating individuality, diversity, getting along with others and addresses goals, conflict styles, feeling good about ourselves and taking time to relax. Activities include values exploration, How Others See Me, making dream catches, potting a plant to symbolize personal growth and finally culminates with a girls’ compliment circle.
Who Am I: Works with girls to examine identity, assertiveness skills and goal setting through role-play, mandala-making, relationship to music and more. Themes include: Journaling and Self-Disclosure, Song About Me-Who I Am, Personal Growth/Assertiveness and Life Goals/Personal Goals.
Paths to the Future: Examines thoughts, beliefs and actions about friendships, trust, authority figures, mother/daughter relationships, sexuality, dating violence, HIV, drug abuse, stress and goal-setting. Opens up girls to important exploration regarding their choices and behaviours and examines ways to promote self-care and healthy decision-making through lively, prepared discussions and activities. Creative activities include assertiveness role-plays, collage, progressive relaxation, writing, creating “Lifemaps” and more.
Mother-Daughter Circle: The purpose of this program is to promote a healthy and sustaining bond between mothers and daughters during the transitional years from girlhood to young womanhood. The changing nature of the mother-daughter relationship during adolescence is one of the most widely recognized and commonly shared challenges in our society. Creative and expressive activities provide girls and their mothers with opportunity to express needs and envision healthy and valued relationship experience. The program strives to develop: empathy and understanding, healthy communication skills, stress reduction skills, clear and reasonable limit setting, expectations and boundaries, accountability and ownership practices, relationship success strategies and affirmations and explore meanings and messages about being female. The activities can encourage, inspire, and re-inspire their bonds of connection in practical, honest and enjoyable ways.
Boy`s Self-Esteem Outline: Coming Soon!
Helpful Links
Building Your Child’s Self-Esteem