Practicing these habits can really make a difference in your child's development:

Listen To Your Child—Every night when you tuck your child into bed, ask him or her: "What was the best part of your day?" and "What was the hardest part of your day?" Then sit back, reserve judgment and listen.

Label Emotions For Your Child—Teach him or her not to be afraid to do the same. For example: "You sound angry," or "That little boy looks sad."

Acknowledge All Acts Of Kindness—Praise your child, not just the action. "I like the way you helped your brother."

Demonstrate Appropriate Ways To Vent Anger And Frustration—Sit and think, rip up a piece of newspaper, draw a picture.

Help Others—Take your child with you to help someone who is less fortunate. Visit a nursing home, deliver groceries to a friend who's hurt or ill, serve a meal at a soup kitchen.

Respect Your Child—Always ask permission before touching, using, or tossing anything that belongs to your child.

Be Selective About The Videos/TV That Your Child Watches—Whenever possible, watch them with your child to explain and add to the story.

Encourage Your Child To Communicate Feelings—When you see someone who is sad or angry ask your child, "How do you think that little girl is feeling? What do you think made her unhappy?"

Read, Read, Read—Read stories to your child as often as you can and let your child see you reading books, newspapers, magazines, cookbooks, etc.

Encourage Friendship—If someone new moves into your neighborhood, take your child to visit them and say, "welcome." Bring a cake or a welcome card that you made together.

Be Environmentally Conscious—Pick up litter, recycle.

Practice Honesty—If you get caught telling a lie, don't try to sidestep it. Apologize and then tell the truth. Better still, try to demonstrate honesty all the time.

Demonstrate Integrity By Never Breaking A Promise—This includes punishments and rewards.

Think Globally—Find activities that include people from different racial, religious or economic backgrounds and attend regularly.

Demonstrate Good Manners—When your child gives you a special gift, send him a thank you card in the mail.

Validate Your Child's Reality—If she says she's hungry, believe her. Instead of, "You can't be hungry!" try, "You're hungry even after eating all those hot dogs? Wow! You must have a big tummy to hold all that food!" If he says something hurts, believe him and comfort him, even if his performance deserves an Academy Award.

Excerpted from "Boosting Your Child's Self-Esteem." Copyright© 1996 LifeCare®, Inc. All rights reserved.

This publication is for general informational purposes only and it is not intended to provide any reader with specific authority, advice or recommendations. Where you deem necessary, we suggest that you seek advice regarding your particular situation from the appropriate professional.

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