Self-Esteem, Resiliency Training, and Success Parents, like
Sandy's mom, often confuse resiliency training with the popular
self-esteem movement. Although the two may appear to be similar
on the surface, there are significant differences. Most self-
esteem programs focus on getting children to feel good about
themselves. They often encourage children to use positive
affirmations ("I am graceful and strong") and self-awareness
activities (such as looking into a mirror and identifying three
things you like about yourself). The push for children to have
high self-esteem is based on the belief that children who feel
good about themselves will do well in life. However, Reivich
points out that self esteem and success don't necessarily go
hand in hand. "Children won't succeed solely because they feel
good about themselves," she says, adding that some people with
very high self-esteem engage in antisocial, immoral and
sometimes even criminal behavior. Resiliency research, on the
other hand, supports the notion that ch