We ALL want our children to have high self-esteem. To develop a
high self-esteem a person needs purpose. A key component to high
self-esteem is built on how you view yourself in terms of
contribution. In other words, in the child development process,
chores are a big role in a kid’s self-esteem. Our kids get a lot
of messages that TELL them they are great. But because we always
learn through experience, we need to help our kids experience
contribution (chores). Dr. Diana Baumrind contributed to the
world of psychology by defining the types of parents:
Permissive, Authoritarian, and Authoritative. The authoritative
parent is one who shares control but sets firm boundaries to
help the child develop standards of conduct. Here is a link to a
great outline of Baumrind’s work. You will notice that when
Baumrind is outlining the benefits of an Authoritative Parent,
she talks about self-esteem: “Authoritative parents make demands
that fit with children's ability to take responsibility for
their own behavior. Children