Ask your child about the school day.
                   Begin your child's day with a nourishing breakfast.
                   Congratulate you child for doing well.
                   Discuss homework with your child.
                   Encourage your child to read.
                   Find a quiet place for your child to study.
                   Give your child responsibility.
                   Hug your child to build self worth.
                   Include your child in making simple family decisions.
                  Join a library with your child.
                   Keep your child on a schedule that includes exercise and sleep.
                   Limit TV viewing by selecting programs with your child.
                   Make the time you spend with your child special.
                   Notice and discuss changes in your child's behavior.
                   Offer to help your child organize school papers.
                   Provide your child with good role models.
                   Question the activities your child shares with friends.
                   Respect your child's right to have opinions different from yours.
                   Share an interest or a hobby with your child.
                   Take time to listen to your child.
                   Urge your child to say "NO!" to unwanted touching.
                   Visit places of interest with your child.
                   Work with your child to set up rules of behavior.
                   Xerox and save records or articles that benefit your child.
                   Yield results by encouraging your child to do better.
                   Zoom through these ABCs again and again!

                                                                     ~ Author & source unknown

Here's an article that I found very interesting, with great ideas on building self-esteem. 
It's long, and a lot to think about, but I felt it was excellent. 
I hope you find some ideas for your family.

              Leading Children To Self-Esteem
                                     A Guide for Parents

Think back to when you were 9 years old. Remember all those feelings of uncertainty and insecurity? All the questions? While being young was often a wonderful time, it certainly wasn't easy!

Your children have many of the same feelings you had as a child. They can be just as unsure of themselves, just as indecisive, and just as influenced by their friends' opinions as you were at their age. Without a doubt, coping with these feelings is easier if children feel good about themselves.

Feeling loved and appreciated can do wonders for children's self-esteem. And it's up to parents and other important people in children's lives to give them that feeling.

Children build self-esteem by dealing with normal life experiences. For example, while tying your shoes may be an automatic process for you now, learning how to do it is a major accomplishment for young people. By being applauded for these small triumphs, children learn to feel worthwhile and their self-esteem builds.

Children with high self-esteem are less likely to succumb to negative peer pressure, such as the pressure to experiment with drugs and alcohol. Studies indicate that children with high self-esteem tend to do better in school. In many other ways, self-esteem helps young people have the confidence to face life's many challenges.

On the following pages you'll find ideas and tips prepared by the National PTA and Keebler Company to help your children develop self-esteem.

COMMUNICATE OPENLY AND HONESTLY

Communication is the key to any relationship, and your relationship with your children is one important element in building their self-esteem. Your children need to know that you are interested in what they have to say, value their opinions and respect their views. How can you work on communication skills in your family? You can...

Listen and Talk

• Tell your children that you love them. Often children don't believe their parents love them because their parents scold and punish them.

• Listen intently when they have a story to tell. This can work wonders for your children's self-esteem since it helps them realize that their thoughts and ideas are important to you. Even five-year-olds can offer valuable insight.

• Use "I" messages when disciplining your children. For example, when your son comes home an hour after his curfew, say, "I was worried about you. I think you should be punished for disobeying me." This keeps the lines of communication open.

• Listen without prejudgment. Try not to let preconceptions interfere with your ability to hear what your children say.

• Listen to the underlying meaning of your children's concerns. Sometimes children are trying to tell you something but aren't able to find the words. Maybe they're afraid to say exactly what they mean. But be careful: it can be easy to read imaginary problems into your children's conversations.

• Express your values, but explain why "you should do this" or "I want you to do that." Describe the experiences that determined your values, the decisions which led you to accept certain beliefs, the reasons behind your feelings.

• Remember that children often hear you, even when they're paying attention to something else (like the TV). Seemingly innocent comments to a neighbor like "I can't wait until school starts so I can have some peace around the house" can damage your children's self-esteem

Tips for parents

• Parents sometimes get caught in the trap of "labeling"—using harsh, judgmental words. Refrain from making negative comments like "you're a bad boy," or "you're so clumsy." When a child needs to be corrected, do so in a constructive way. Emphasize that the action, not the child, was bad.

• Accept your children's feelings. They are entitled to feel any way they wish; it is their actions that sometimes need to be controlled.

• Accept your children's individuality. Just because they may not do or act in the manner you expect doesn't mean you have failed. Rejoice in the individual.

• Show your love for your children. Hug them. Touch them. Talk to them. Let them know how much you care for them. Children need to be sure of their parents' love.

Learn About Your Children's World

• Spend time with your children every day. Make it a special time to discuss whatever may be concerning them, or what's happening in their lives. Take a ride to someplace special or share a favorite activity. Try to spend time alone with each of your children. You may be surprised at how much you don't know about them!

• Talk to your teenage children's peers about sensitive or controversial issues. This will help give you perspective on how teens other than your own feel about certain issues. And you will show your children that you really care about their interests and concerns.

DEVELOP A POSITIVE APPROACH TO LIFE

A cheerful, upbeat attitude toward life is essential to the development of self-esteem. If your children feel good about themselves and their lives, they'll develop the confidence to grow into secure and happy adults.

Offer Praise and Encouragement

• Notice and comment on the special qualities of your children. Be observant of strengths and positive characteristics, whether they are "A" students, top athletes, or good listeners.

• Let your children know that you notice special things they have done. Tell them that you appreciate their efforts.

• Help your children finish tasks and achieve goals by cheering them on! Be sure to congratulate them on each step, no matter how small.

• Be specific when offering praise and encouragement. While non-specific praise is important, it's also important that children understand exactly what their capabilities are. For example, say "You did a great job on your homework tonight" as well as "You're terrific."

• Give praise often. Feelings of approval disappear fast, especially for younger children.

• Be sincere! Your children won't believe the praise you are giving them if you don't believe it yourself.

Emphasize Responsibility

• By giving your children responsibilities at home, you will help them realize that they are trusted and capable people. You will also be preparing your children for coping with life now and as adults.

• Match responsibilities to your children's ages or abilities. Very small children will be frustrated by too large a task.

• Set rules which are important to the quality of your family life. Don't set too many rules; they may become impossible for children to remember and for you to enforce. Explain the reasons for rules and follow them yourself. Develop rules appropriate to the ages of your children. For instance, an 11-year-old might always be expected to call a parent if she will not be home immediately after school is out, while a 15-year-old might be expected to call only if he will not be home by dinner time.

• Be a good role model. How you feel about yourself greatly influences how your children feel about themselves. Your children learn many of their habits from you, whether they are healthy or unhealthy. Try to demonstrate positive and responsible habits for your children to emulate.

• Develop specific chores for your children to do around the house. Make it clear that they are responsible for these jobs, and praise them for a job well done. But don't be too particular—the fact that a child used the wrong towel to wash the car is less important than the fact that he accomplished his task.

• Help your children meet their responsibilities. If your youngsters have trouble getting up in the morning for school, buy them an alarm clock or try changing their bed time. Show children how to keep lists, make a calendar or use reminder notes to help them remember what they need to do.

Encourage Goal-Setting

Setting goals, developing talents and recognizing positive attributes will all help bolster a child's self-image. Every goal—big or small—will show your children that they have the power to accomplish what they want to do. Another self-confidence booster!

• Help your children set realistic goals. They will gain confidence in learning to "walk" before they "run."

• Help them understand that you expect them to perform at a level appropriate for their age and ability. Challenges that are too difficult leave them open for disappointment and frustration.

• Provide a wide range of activities for your children, so they can find and develop their own talents and interests. Knowing they have their own special talents will help them when they feel insecure or inadequate.

• Remember that winning isn't everything. The fact that they try their hardest is what is important. Let them know that "coming in first" isn't as important as doing their best. Let your children know that you are there to cheer them on when they try again!

BUILD SELF-ESTEEM AS A FAMILY

Get your whole family involved in the following activities. They build self-esteem and they're fun, too! Add your own ideas to the activities to make them appropriate for your family.

I Know What I Want!

Developing positive goals helps us learn more about ourselves. It is important that we know what we want to be so that we can make choices that will help us move toward our goals.

In this activity, family members are asked to list three goals on a sheet of paper. Underneath each goal, list the steps to be taken to reach the goal.

FOR EXAMPLE: To become a track athlete

Steps:

1. Develop a running program

2. Purchase good running shoes (remind your child that she must accomplish the smaller step of earning money to achieve this)

3. Work on healthy eating habits

After each member of the family has completed her list, share them with one another. Discuss possible obstacles to these goals and how they can be overcome. See if some goals can be accomplished as a group.

Post the lists in a visible family spot (the refrigerator, a bulletin board, etc.).

Look at the lists after a month to see how you're doing! Remember to emphasize the effort, not the outcome. If each did her best to reach her goal, then she is a winner.
What Makes Us Special?

Everyone has talents, attributes, feelings, and goals that make him special. The members of your family are special too. Is someone a great gymnast? Extra patient with a younger brother or sister? Does your family help people less fortunate than you?

Here's your family's chance to show off how great they are by creating an advertisement for very special people-themselves! Each family member creates an ad about himself. Then, everyone works together on the family ad.

First, each person should decide what makes him special. Each person asks other family members what they like best about him. Or you could "brainstorm"—the entire group writes down every good idea about the individual, taking turns to include each family member in the brainstorm. Sort out the best ideas later. List these special things on a sheet of paper.

Create your individual advertisement on a sheet of paper. Each person might choose two or three things from the list that make him especially proud, and then design the ad around those things. The ad should include a headline that grabs the reader's attention, body copy that describes the special advantages of your "product," and visuals (either photography or artwork) that catch the reader's eye.

After each individual has created his or her own ad, create an advertisement for the whole family. What makes your family special? What are your family's unique characteristics? Working together, create your family advertisement on another sheet of paper. Post the advertisements in a visible family spot, and remind family members to preview their own ads when they become discouraged.

I Saw Someone Doing Her Best

Too often, we forget to notice accomplishments and positive qualities of those we care about.

In this activity, look for one another's achievements and comment on them. When you see someone doing a good job, trying her hardest or learning something new, try to remember it and congratulate her on it.

Post a piece of paper in a visible family spot (on the refrigerator, kitchen bulletin board, etc.). Title it, "I Saw Someone Doing Her Best."

Whenever someone sees a family member trying her hardest, write it down on the sheet of paper along with the name of the person who did it. For example: "I saw Debra practicing her singing."

Give recognition for an extra-special achievement. Set a "special plate" at dinner or make a pin to wear for the week.

As a family, discuss what everyone learned. Be sure to praise one another for what they did and encourage everyone to keep trying.

TIPS FOR PARENTS

A positive self-image will help your children resist the temptations of drug and alcohol use. The family plays an important role in helping develop a positive self-image. To help your children believe in themselves, tape the following tips in a visible place so you can keep them in mind every day.

• Communicate openly with your children.

• Be a good listener.

• Include your children in family discussions. Value their opinions.

• Try to understand your children's point of view. Remember how you felt at their age.

• Give your children responsibilities appropriate to their age.

• Set firm limits. Young people need to know what is expected of them.

• Be generous, yet sincere, when offering praise and encouragement.

• Help your children set goals, and work together toward accomplishing them

• Remember that winning isn't everything. Trying is what is important.

• Be a positive role model.

This article was reprinted with permission from the National PTA website
www.pta.org