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Content Map Terms
Pregnancy & Parenting Categories
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Planning Your Pregnancy
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Fertility
- Ovulation and Fertility Pregnancy Planning
- Ovulation and Transport of Egg
- Find Your Ovulation Day
- Infertility: Problems With Ovulation
- Ovulation
- Superovulation
- Interactive Tool: When are you most fertile?
- Infertility
- Infertility: Emotional and Social Support
- Pregnancy after Age 35
- Infertility: Ethical and Legal Concerns
- Infertility: Factors That Affect Treatment Success
- Infertility: Setting Limits on Testing
- Infertility: Problems With the Man's Reproductive System
- Infertility: Problems With Fallopian Tubes
- Infertility: Problems With the Uterus and Cervix
- Cancer Treatment and Infertility
- Fertility Problems: Should I Be Tested?
- Infertility Tests
- Fertility Drugs
- Infertility
- Fertility Problems: Should I Have a Tubal Procedure or In Vitro Fertilization?
- Insemination for Infertility
- Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection for Infertility
- Infertility Treatment for Women With PCOS
- In Vitro Fertilization for Infertility
- Infertility: Setting Limits on Treatment
- Infertility: Questions to Ask About Medicine or Hormone Treatment
- Infertility: Questions to Ask About Assisted Reproductive Technology
- Infertility: Should I Have Treatment?
- Insemination Procedures for Infertility
- Gamete and Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer for Infertility
- Varicocele Repair for Infertility
- Fallopian Tube Procedures for Infertility
- Follicle-Stimulating Hormone
- Luteinizing Hormone
- Progesterone
- Sperm Penetration Tests
- Basal Body Temperature (BBT) Charting
- Your Health When Planning to Become Pregnant
- Ending a Pregnancy
- Adoption
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Fertility
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Pregnancy
- Healthcare Providers During Pregnancy
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Your Health During Pregnancy
- Foodborne Illness During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy and Seat Belt Use
- Pregnancy: Chemicals, Cosmetics, and Radiation
- Travel during Pregnancy
- Lupus and Pregnancy
- Multiple Sclerosis and Pregnancy
- Cancer During Pregnancy
- HIV and Pregnancy
- Pregnancy and Chronic High Blood Pressure
- Schizophrenia and Pregnancy
- Depression During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy and Epilepsy
- Obesity and Pregnancy
- Pregnancy
- Dental Care During Pregnancy
- Immunizations and Pregnancy
- Quick Tips: Healthy Pregnancy Habits
- Massage Therapy during Pregnancy
- Sex During Pregnancy
- Leg Cramps During Pregnancy
- Medicines During Pregnancy
- Swelling During Pregnancy
- Electronic Fetal Heart Monitoring
- Depression: Should I Take Antidepressants While I'm Pregnant?
- Pregnancy: Dealing With Morning Sickness
- Back Pain During Pregnancy
- Abnormal Pap Test While Pregnant
- Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy
- Acupressure for Morning Sickness
- Automated Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring
- Braxton Hicks Contractions
- Caffeine During Pregnancy
- Exercise During Pregnancy
- Fatigue During Pregnancy
- Fever During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Pregnancy: Changes in Bowel Habits
- Pregnancy: Healthy Weight Gain
- Pregnancy: Hemorrhoids and Constipation
- Pregnancy: Pelvic and Hip Pain
- Pregnancy: Ways to Find Your Due Date
- Estrogens
- Symptoms of Pregnancy
- Sexually Transmitted Infections During Pregnancy
- Ginger for Morning Sickness
- Heartburn During Pregnancy
- Nausea or Vomiting During Pregnancy
- Urinary Problems During Pregnancy
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Body Changes During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Varicose Veins
- Pregnancy: Hand Changes
- Sleep Problems During Pregnancy
- Managing Emotional Changes During Pregnancy
- Breast Changes During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Hair Changes
- Pregnancy: Belly, Pelvic and Back Pain
- Pregnancy: Stretch Marks, Itching, and Skin Changes
- Pregnancy: Changes in Feet and Ankles
- Pregnancy: Vaginal Discharge and Leaking Fluid
- Interactive Tool: From Embryo to Baby in 9 Months
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Your First Trimester
- Check-ups and Tests In the First Trimester
- Embryo and Fetal Development In the First Trimester
- Mothers' Physical Changes in the First Trimester
- Normal Pregnancy: First Trimester
- Week 8 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 8 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 12 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 12 weeks of pregnancy
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Your Second Trimester
- Mothers' Physical Changes During the Second Trimester
- Check-ups and Tests in the Second Trimester
- Normal Pregnancy: Second Trimester
- Week 16 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside /
- Fetal development at 16 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 20 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 20 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 24 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside /
- Fetal development at 24 weeks of pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Kick Counts
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Your Third Trimester
- Check-ups and Tests in the Third Trimester
- Fetal Development in the Third Trimester
- Mothers' Physical Changes in the Third Trimester
- Prenatal Classes in the Third Trimester
- Writing Your Birth Plan or Wishes
- Normal Pregnancy: Third Trimester
- Week 28 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 28 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 32 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 32 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 36 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 36 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 40 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 40 weeks of pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Dropping (Lightening)
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Risks and Complications During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy-Related Problems
- Gestational Diabetes
- HELLP Syndrome
- Gestational Diabetes: Dealing With Low Blood Sugar
- Insulin Injection Areas for Gestational Diabetes
- Gestational Diabetes: Giving Yourself Insulin Shots
- Gestational Diabetes: Counting Carbs
- Gestational Diabetes: Checking Your Blood Sugar
- Pre-Eclampsia: Expectant Management
- Pregnancy: Hot Tub and Sauna Use
- Pregnancy After Weight-Loss (Bariatric) Surgery
- External Cephalic Version (Version) for Breech Position
- Bedrest for Preterm Labour
- Multiple Pregnancy: Preterm Birth
- Multiple Pregnancy: Should I Consider a Multifetal Pregnancy Reduction?
- Multiple Pregnancy: Twins or More
- Twin Pregnancy Types
- High-risk Pregnancy
- Rh Sensitization during Pregnancy
- Post-Term Pregnancy
- Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding
- Intrauterine Fetal Blood Transfusion for Rh Disease
- Miscarriage
- Abruptio Placenta
- Anemia During Pregnancy
- Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Pregnancy /
- Asthma During Pregnancy
- Bedrest in Pregnancy
- Pre-Eclampsia: Checkups and Monitoring
- Functional Ovarian Cysts /
- High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
- Laparoscopic Ovarian Drilling for PCOS
- Low Amniotic Fluid
- Low-Lying Placenta Versus Placenta Previa
- Miscarriage: Should I Have Treatment to Complete a Miscarriage?
- Molar Pregnancy
- Passing Tissue During Pregnancy
- Placenta Previa
- Polyhydramnios
- Pre-Eclampsia
- Eclampsia (Seizures) and Pre-Eclampsia
- Special Health Concerns During Pregnancy
- Ectopic Pregnancy
- Subchorionic Hemorrhage
- Endometriosis
- Toxoplasmosis During Pregnancy
- Vaginal Bleeding During Pregnancy
- Healthy Eating and Physical Activity
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Emotional Health and Support During Pregnancy
- Getting Help for Perinatal Depression
- Coping with Losing a Baby
- Depression and Anxiety During Pregnancy
- Domestic Abuse While You Are Pregnant
- How Support Teams Can Help During Pregnancy
- Partner Support during Pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Relationship Changes
- Stress While You Are Pregnant
- Tips for Pregnant Parents
- Alcohol and Other Drug Use During Pregnancy
- Interactive Tool: What Is Your Due Date?
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Labour and Birth
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Planning Your Delivery
- Childbirth Classes
- Childbirth: Labouring in Water and Water Delivery /
- Childbirth: Perineal Massage Before Labour
- Choosing Where to Give Birth Hospital or Home
- Doulas and Support During Childbirth
- Making a Birth Plan
- Packing for Birth at a Hospital
- Pregnancy: Deciding Where to Deliver
- Vaginal Birth After Caesarean (VBAC)
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Stages of Labour
- Labour and Delivery
- Cervical Cerclage to Prevent Preterm Delivery
- First Stage of Labour - Early Phase
- First Stage of Labour Active Phase
- First Stage of Labour Transition Phase
- Information on Fourth Stage of Labour
- Information on Second Stage of Labour
- Information on Third Stage of Labour
- Preterm Labour and Short Cervix
- Preterm Labour
- Preterm Labour: Testing for Fetal Fibronectin
- Preterm Prelabour Rupture of Membranes (pPROM)
- Telling Pre-Labour and True Labour Part
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During Labour
- Breathing Techniques for Childbirth
- Caesarean Section
- Cervical Effacement and Dilatation
- Cervical Insufficiency
- Childbirth: Epidurals
- Childbirth: Opioid Pain Medicines
- Childbirth: Pudendal and Paracervical Blocks
- Childbirth: Strep Infections During Delivery
- Comfort Positions Labour and Birth
- Epidural Anesthesia
- Epidural and Spinal Anesthesia
- Episiotomy and Perineal Tears
- Epistiotomy Vacuum and Forceps During Labour and Birth
- Fetal Monitoring During Labour HY
- Labour Induction and Augmentation
- Local Anesthesia for Childbirth
- Pain Relief Options Labour and Birth
- Postpartum Bleeding
- Postpartum: First 6 Weeks After Childbirth
- Postural Management for Breech Position
- Practicing Breathing Techniques for Labour
- Spinal Block for Childbirth
- Stillbirth
- VBAC: Labour Induction
- VBAC: Participation During Birth
- VBAC: Uterine Scar Rupture
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After Labour and Care for New Moms
- Alcohol and Smoking After Pregnancy
- Baby Blues
- Depression: Managing Postpartum Depression
- Fitness: Staying Active When You Have Young Children
- Sex After Childbirth
- Support Teams for New Parents
- Taking Care of Yourself When Your Baby Is Fussy
- Your Body After Pregnancy
- After Childbirth: Coping and Adjusting
- After Childbirth: Pelvic Bone Problems
- After Childbirth: Urination and Bowel Problems
- Childbirth Afterpains
- Help with Urination After Giving Birth
- Managing Bowel Movements After Pregnancy
- Mom and Baby Staying Together
- New Moms and Abuse
- Postpartum Depression
- Problems After Delivery of Your Baby
- Vaginal Care After Giving Birth
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Planning Your Delivery
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Parenting Babies (0-12 months)
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Baby Care
- Pregnancy: Should I Bank My Baby's Umbilical Cord Blood?
- Umbilical Cord Blood Donation and Private Banking
- Preparing Siblings for Meeting your New Baby
- Can Cloth Diapers Work for Your Familiy
- Bonding With Your Baby
- Infant Crying
- Crying: Tired or Overstimulated
- Baby's Daily Needs: What to Expect
- Ways to Comfort a Crying Baby
- Coping Strategies to Avoid Harming a Baby
- Coping When Your Baby Cries A Lot
- Tips for Soothing Babies
- Immunizations for Premature Infants
- Important Paperwork for Newborns
- NICU: Communicating With the Staff
- Premature Infant: Safe Travel With Your Baby
- Tips for Diapering a Newborn Baby
- Ways to Comfort a Baby in the Hospital
- Premature (Preterm) Infant
- Bonding With Your Newborn
- Bathing and Skin Care For Newborn Babies
- What to Expect When You Have an Extremely Premature Infant
- Birthmarks
- Biting
- Caring for More Than One Baby
- Caring for a Baby's Nails
- Circumcision
- Circumcision: Should I Keep My Son's Penis Natural?
- Cleaning Your Young Child's Natural (Uncircumcised) Penis
- Cleft Lip
- Cleft Palate
- Club Foot
- Common Types of Birthmarks
- Diaper Rash
- Infant Massage
- Oral Care For Your Baby
- Positional Plagiocephaly
- Quick Tips: Getting Baby to Sleep
- Screening for Hearing Problems
- Separation Protests: Helping Your Child
- Thumb-Sucking Versus Pacifier Use
- Using Soothers and Stopping When it is Time
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Breastfeeding
- A Video on Breastfeeding Positions
- A Video on Breastfeeding and Skin-to-Skin Contact
- A Video on Hand Expressing Breastmilk
- Breast Engorgement
- Breast Surgery and Breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding After Breast Surgery
- Breastfeeding After a C-Section
- Breastfeeding During Pregnancy
- Breastfeeding Multiple Infants
- Breastfeeding Positions
- Breastfeeding With Inverted Nipples
- Breastfeeding Your Newborn and an Older Child
- Breastfeeding a Sick Baby
- Breastfeeding and Your Milk Supply
- Breastfeeding at Work
- Breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding: Baby's Poor Weight Gain
- Breastfeeding: Planning Ahead
- Breastfeeding: Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drugs
- Breastfeeding: Waking Your Baby
- Breastfeeding: When Baby Doesn't Want to Stop
- Common Breastfeeding Concerns
- Common Breastfeeding Positions
- Coping With Thrush When You’re Breastfeeding
- Experiencing Let-Down Reflex
- FAQs About Breastfeeding
- Get Started on Expressing Breastmilk
- Getting Comfortable Breastfeeding in Public
- Hospital Policies and Breastfeeding
- Latching Your Baby - Video
- Learning Basics of Breastfeeding
- Learning to Latch
- Mastitis While Breastfeeding
- Medications and Herbal Products for Breastfeeding Moms
- Medicine Use While Breastfeeding
- Milk Oversupply
- Nipple Shields for Breastfeeding Problems
- Oxytocin
- Plugged Milk Ducts When You're Breastfeeding
- Poor Let-Down While Breastfeeding
- Preventing Mastitis
- Pumping Breast Milk
- Quick Tips: Successful Breastfeeding
- Signs That Your Baby Is Getting Enough Breast Milk
- Sleep, Rest, and Breastfeeding
- Storing Breast Milk
- Storing and Using Breastmilk
- Under or Over Production of Milk During Breastfeeding
- Vitamin D Supplements for Breastfeeding Babies
- What you need to Know About Supplementing Baby Formula
- Your Milk Supply
- Breastfeeding: Weaning a Baby
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Feeding Your Baby
- Alternative Feeding Methods for Newborns
- Baby Feeding Cues - Video
- Bottle-Feeding: When Baby Doesn't Want to Stop
- Burping a Baby
- Choosing Baby Bottles and Nipples
- Cleft Palate: Feeding Your Baby
- Combining Breastfeeding and Formula-Feeding
- Cup-Feeding Baby With Breast Milk or Formula
- Feeding Schedule for Babies
- Feeding Your Child Using Division of Responsibility
- Feeding Your Infant
- Feeding Your Premature Infant
- Getting Started and Feeding Cues
- How Often and How Long to Feed
- Introducing Solid Foods to Your Baby
- Learn More Before You Supplement Formula
- Safe Drinking Water - Your Baby's First Year
- Safe Water for Mixing Infant Formula
- Signs of a Good Feed
- Spitting Up
- Weaning
- Bottle-Feeding: Weaning a Baby
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Baby Health
- Newborn Rashes and Skin Conditions
- Early Disease Screening of Newborns
- Group B Streptococcal Infections in Newborns
- Drug Withdrawal in Newborns
- Umbilical Cord Care
- Jaundice in Newborns (Hyperbilirubinemia)
- Abdominal Gas and Colic
- Basic Dental Care From Birth to 16 Years
- Bowel Movements in Babies
- Cataracts in Children
- Chronic Lung Disease in Infants
- Colic Diary
- Colic
- Colic: Harmful Treatments
- Comforting a Child Who Has a Respiratory Illness
- Common Health Concerns for Babies First Year
- Cough Symptoms in Children
- Cradle Cap
- Croup
- Croup: Managing a Croup Attack
- Crying Child That Is Not Acting Normally
- Dehydration: Drinking Enough Fluids
- Dental Care From Birth to 6 Months
- Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip
- Developmental Problems: Testing
- Failure to Thrive
- Gastroesophageal Reflux in Babies and Children
- Health and Safety, Birth to 2 Years
- Healthy Hearing and Vision For Babies
- Immunization, Your Baby's First Year
- Orchiopexy for Undescended Testicle
- Reducing Biting in Children Ages 8 to 14 Months
- Reducing Biting in Teething Babies
- Teething Products
- Teething: Common Concerns
- Treating Asthma in Babies and Younger Children
- Tongue-tie and tethered oral tissues
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Baby Growth and Development
- Helping Your Newborn Learn
- Physical Growth in Newborns
- Cognitive Growth in Newborns
- Language Development in Newborns
- Sensory and Motor Growth in Newborns
- Babies' social and emotional development
- Children's Growth Chart
- Cognitive Development 9-12 mos
- Cognitive Development First 6-9 Mos
- Emotional and Social Growth in Newborns
- Growth and Development Milestones
- Growth and Development, Newborn
- Importance of Tummy Time for Babies' Development
- Speech and Language Milestones, Birth to 1 Year
- Stimulate Your Baby's Learning
- Tooth Development in Children
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Baby Safety
- Child Car Seats
- Quick Tips: Babyproofing Your Home
- Baby's Sleep Position and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- Baby Proofing Your Home First Year
- Choking Rescue for Babies
- Safer Sleep for My Baby
- Crib Safety
- Safe Chairs for Baby's First Year
- Safety at Home for Baby's First Year
- Shaken Baby Syndrome
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
- Sun Safety Babies for their First Year
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Baby Care
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Parenting Toddlers (12-36 months)
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Caring for Your Toddler
- Acetaminophen Use in Young Children
- Breath-Holding Spells
- Breath-Holding Spells: Keeping a Record
- Brushing and Flossing a Child's Teeth
- Care for Toddlers' Colds and Coughs
- Crying, Age 3 and Younger
- Dental Care and Teething in Toddlers
- Egocentric and Magical Thinking
- Hearing Health for Toddlers
- Ibuprofen Use in Young Children
- Managing Your Toddler's Frustrating Behaviours
- Positive Parenting
- Preparing Your Toddler for Health Care Visits
- Preventing Breath-Holding Spells in Children
- Promoting Positive Behaviour in Your Toddler
- Breastfeeding Your Toddler
- Childproofing your Home
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Toddler Growth and Development
- Cognitive Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months
- Emotional and Social Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months
- Emotional and Social Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months
- Growth and Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months
- Growth and Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months
- Growth and Development, Ages 2 to 5 Years
- Language Development 12-18 Months
- Language Development 18-24 Months
- Language Development 24-30 Months
- Milestones for 2-Year-Olds
- Milestones for 3-Year-Olds
- Physical Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months
- Physical Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months
- Sensory and Motor Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months
- Sensory and Motor Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months
- Speech and Language Development: Helping Your 1- to 2-Year-Old
- Speech and Language Milestones, Ages 1 to 3 Years
- Toddler Play Activities
- Toddlers Language Development 30-36 Months
- Toddlers Physical Development 18-24 Months
- Toddlers Physical Development 24-30 Months
- Toddlers Physical Development 30-36 Months
- Toddlers Social and Emotional Development 12-18 Months
- Toddlers Social and Emotional Development 18-24 months
- Toddlers Social and Emotional Development 30-36 Months
- Toddlers social and Emotional Development 24-30 months
- Toilet Training
- Toilet Training: Knowing When Your Child Is Ready
- Understanding your Toddlers Development
- Toddler Sleep
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Caring for Your Toddler
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Parenting Preschoolers (3-5 years)
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Caring for Your Preschooler
- Motivational Therapy for Bedwetting
- Daytime Accidental Wetting
- Dental Care: 3 Years to 6 Years
- Health and Safety, Ages 2 to 5 Years
- Preschoolers: Building Self-Control
- Preschoolers: Building Social Skills
- Preschoolers: Building a Sense of Security
- Preschoolers: Encouraging Independence
- Preschoolers: Helping Your Child Explore
- Preventing Tooth Decay in Young Children
- Temper Tantrums
- Temper Tantrums: Keeping a Record
- Thumb-Sucking: Helping Your Child Stop
- Your Child and the Dentist
- Moisture Alarms for Bedwetting
- Nightmares and Other Sleep Problems in Children
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Preschooler Growth and Development
- Emotional Development, Ages 2 to 5 Years
- Encouraging Language Development in Your Preschooler
- How Reading Helps Language Development
- How to Teach Your Child by Example
- Milestones for 4-Year-Olds
- Milestones for 5-Year-Olds
- Speech Problems: Normal Disfluency
- Speech and Language Delays: Common Misconceptions 49
- Speech and Language Development
- Speech and Language Development: Red Flags
- Speech and Language Milestones, Ages 3 to 5 Years
- Stuttering
- Thumb-Sucking
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Caring for Your Preschooler
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Parenting School-Age Children (6-11 years)
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Caring for Your School-Age Child
- Bedwetting
- Building Kids Resilience
- Childhood Fears and Exposure to Violence
- Conversations that Teach Children Resilience
- Establishing Limits With Your School-Age Child
- Help Your School-Age Child Develop Social Skills
- Helping Your School-Age Child Learn About the Body
- Quick Tips: Using Backpacks Safely
- Sample School Plan
- Self-Esteem, Ages 6 to 10
- Back to School
- School-Age Children Growth and Development 6-11
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Caring for Your School-Age Child
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Parenting Teens (12-18 years)
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Teen Growth and Development
- Adolescent Sensory and Motor Development
- Cognitive Development, Ages 15 to 18 Years
- Emotional and Social Development, Ages 11 to 14 Years
- Emotional and Social Development, Ages 15 to 18 Years
- Growth and Development, Ages 11 to 14 Years
- Growth and Development, Ages 15 to 18 Years
- Menarche
- Menstruation: Not Having a Period by Age 15
- Milestones for Ages 11 to 14
- Milestones for Ages 15 to 18
- Physical Development, Ages 11 to 14 Years /
- Physical Development, Ages 15 to 18 Years
- Puberty Issues
- Teenage Sleep Patterns
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Caring for Your Teen
- Conversations that Teach Resilience
- Help Your Working Teen Balance Responsibilities and Set Priorities
- Helping Adolescents Develop More Mature Ways of Thinking
- Helping Your Child Transition Into Middle School or Junior High
- Helping Your Teen Become a Safe Driver
- How to Get Back on Track After Conflict with Teenagers
- How to Start a Conversation with Teens About Alcohol
- Medical Checkups for Adolescents
- Talking to Your Adolescent or Teen About Problems
- Teen Relationship Abuse
- Teen Substance Use: Making a Contract With Your Teen
- Teenage Substance Use: Choosing a Treatment Program
- Teenage Tobacco Use
- Teens With Diabetes: Issues for Parents
- Tips for Parents of Teens
- Your Teen's Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
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Teen Growth and Development
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Keeping Your Child Safe
- Quick Tips: Helping Your Child Stay Safe and Healthy
- Poison Prevention for Toddlers
- Playground Safety for Toddlers
- Safety Outdoors in the Cold for Toddlers
- Bathroom Safety For Toddlers
- Your Toddler: Safe Ways to Explore
- Child Safety: Preventing Burns
- Child Safety: Preventing Drowning
- Water Safety for Toddlers
- Child Safety: Preventing Child Abduction
- Child Safety: Fires
- Protecting Your Child From Infections
- Child Safety: Pets
- Child Safety: Preventing Falls
- Child Safety: Streets and Motor Vehicles
- Child Safety: Washing Toys to Prevent Germs
- Preventing Choking in Small Children
- Preventing Children's Injuries From Sports and Other Activities
- Child Safety: Air Pollution
- Child Safety: Bathing
- Child Safety: Bicycles and Tricycles
- Child Safety: Drowning Prevention in Pools and Hot Tubs
- Child Safety: Guns and Firearms
- Child Safety: Strollers and Shopping Carts
- Head Injuries in Children: Problems to Watch For
- Head Injury, Age 3 and Younger
- Object Stuck in a Child's Airway
- Preventing Choking
- Playground Safety
- Bullying
- Quick Tips: Safely Giving Over-the-Counter Medicines to Children
- Preventing Poisoning in Young Children
- Bullying: How to Help Your Child Who Bullies
- Staying Healthy Around Animals
- Bullying: Building a Child's Self-Esteem
- Thinking About Child Safety
- Bullying: Signs a Child Is Bullied
- Rule of Nines for Babies and Young Children
- Abuse: Signs of Abuse-Related Injuries
- Media and Your Child: Making Choices
- Child Abuse: Emotional Abuse by Parents
- Protecting Your Toddler From Potential Abuse
- Sexual Abuse: Signs and Symptoms
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Relationships and Emotional Health
- Helping Your Child Build Inner Strength
- Helping Your Child Build a Healthy Body Image
- Symptoms of Depression in Children
- Active Listening
- Aggression in Youth
- Appreciating Your Child's Personality
- Family Life Cycle
- Family Meetings
- Recognizing and Developing Your Children's Special Talents
- Sibling Rivalry: Reducing Conflict and Jealousy
- Violent Behaviour in Children and Teens
- Growth and Development: Helping Your Child Build Self-Esteem
- Effective Parenting: Discipline
- Corporal Punishment
- Talking With Your Child About Sex
- Helping Kids Handle Peer Pressure
- Substance Use Problems: How to Help Your Teen
- Helping Your Child Avoid Tobacco, Drugs, and Alcohol
- Stress in Children and Teenagers
- Stress Management: Helping Your Child With Stress
- Family Therapy for Depression in Children
- Comparing Symptoms of Normal Moodiness With Depression in Children
- Conditions With Symptoms Similar to Depression in Children and Teens
- Warning Signs of Suicide in Children and Teens
- Taking Care of Yourself When You Have a Child With Physical, Emotional, or Behavioural Problems
- Taking Care of Yourself When Your Child Is Sick
- Grief: Helping Children With Grief
- Grief: Helping Children Understand
- Grief: Helping Teens With Grief
- ADHD: Taking Care of Yourself When Your Child Has ADHD
- Baby's Best Chance
- Toddler's First Steps
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Birth Control
- Birth Control Hormones: The Pill
- Birth Control Hormones: The Shot
- Birth Control Hormones: The Mini-Pill
- Birth Control Hormones: The Patch
- Birth Control Hormones: The Ring
- Breastfeeding as Birth Control
- Birth Control: How to Use a Diaphragm
- Birth Control
- Birth Control: Myths About Sex and Pregnancy
- What to Do About Missed or Skipped Birth Control Pills
- Birth Control Pills: Missed or Skipped Periods
- How Birth Control Methods Prevent Pregnancy
- How to Take Birth Control Pills
- Birth Control: How to Use the Patch
- Birth Control: How to Use the Ring
- Hormonal Birth Control: Risk of Blood Clots
- Effectiveness Rate of Birth Control Methods
- Birth Control
- Diaphragm for Birth Control
- Spermicide for Birth Control
- Contraceptive Sponge for Birth Control
- Cervical Cap for Birth Control
- Birth Control: Pros and Cons of Hormonal Methods
- Intrauterine Device (IUD) for Birth Control
- Hormonal Methods of Birth Control
- Barrier Methods of Birth Control
- Tubal Implants for Permanent Birth Control
- Birth Control Patch
- How Pregnancy (Conception) Occurs
- Getting Pregnant After Stopping Birth Control
- Male Condoms
- Emergency Contraception
Overview
Self-esteem is a person's core belief about himself or herself. A person's self-esteem is reflected in his or her actions, both in how as well as what he or she does. Although self-esteem varies from time to time, the pattern usually leans toward a healthy or unhealthy view of self. With healthy self-esteem, a person is more likely to succeed in life.
Although building self-esteem is a lifelong process, the foundation of self-esteem is established in childhood. That foundation can do much to help a child deal with difficult life issues as they are encountered.
Parents have the greatest influence on a child's belief about himself or herself. Letting your child know that he or she belongs, is doing well, and is contributing can help him or her develop healthy self-esteem.
Keep these things in mind as you raise your child.
- Children sense that they belong by the way their parents talk to them and act toward them. Show and tell your child that you love and care for him or her.
- Children learn about how well they are doing by how their parents react to their behaviour. Offer praise to children when they show positive behaviour, and provide them with correction when mistakes are made.
- Children learn how to work with others by learning how to cooperate within a family. Give your child some age-appropriate household responsibilities.
How you can help your child develop healthy self-esteem
Developing a sense of belonging, learning, and contributing can help your child develop healthy self-esteem. The following are ways you can help promote this development in your child.
Belonging
Through contact with others, we know that we are loved and respected and that we belong. Use the following suggestions to help your child feel he or she belongs within your family.
- Show your love. Let your child know you love him or her for who he or she is, not for what he or she does. Make it a habit to show your love for your child in at least two ways each day.
- Let your child know that he or she is special. List at least three of your child's good qualities and post them on your refrigerator. Add to these qualities from time to time. Celebrate your child's good qualities often.
- Praise your child. Make positive comments about your child's behaviour. Notice your child's strengths, even when he or she is misbehaving. When you focus on what you like, your child's behaviour may improve.
- Listen to your child. When your child shares something with you, give him or her your undivided attention and listen carefully. Don't give advice unless asked for it or you feel your child's safety is involved. Don't ridicule or shame your child.
- Have family times. Have regular times for the family to have fun together, such as playing board or card games. Try to have as many family meals together as possible. Don't discuss problems or concerns you have with your child during these times unless it is absolutely needed.
- Encourage positive peer experiences. Look for activities with peers where your child can feel success and acceptance, such as participating in a sport or joining a club.
Learning
Although learning really takes place all the time, plan to create a learning opportunity for your child at least once a week.
- Choose a learning activity. Choose an activity that is appropriate for your child's age and that builds on his or her strengths. If the activity might be dangerous or difficult, let your child know without overstressing it. Help him or her think of ways to deal with these obstacles. You might invite your child to help with one of your chores or hobbies. If you do, be sure that you are not feeling rushed during the activity. Let it be a fun time.
- Let your child try. Even if your child has difficulty with a new task or skill, don't quickly take over and show him or her how to do it. Be patient and let your child try.
- Break up a complex task. Simple steps help a child see progress when learning a complex skill. Don't embarrass your child by asking him or her to do difficult tasks in front of other people.
- Praise accomplishments. Even if the completed work does not meet your standard, find at least one positive thing to say.
- Encourage practice. When your child is learning a new skill that takes practice, such as riding a bicycle, don't expect perfection the first time. Help your child to not give up on the first try. Encourage your child to practice and talk about his or her improvement with each practice time.
Contributing
Contributing enhances our feelings of belonging, providing the basis for continued learning and strengthening of self-esteem. Every day, use the following suggestions to help your child feel that he or she is contributing.
- Set family rules. Family rules help children know that the family stands for something and gives them exposure to order and ritual. Have as few family rules as possible and enforce them consistently. Write down your family's rules and the consequences if those rules are broken.
- Invite cooperation. Regular family meetings are a way to help children learn to cooperate. Family meetings are a place where family members discuss concerns and problems.
- Expect accountability. You can help your child learn to be responsible by assigning him or her some household chores. Make sure the chores are appropriate for your child's age. As your child grows, hold your child accountable for his or her choices and behaviour and let your child experience natural or logical consequences.
- Express appreciation. Let your child know you appreciate his or her help with tasks, even household chores.
You may want to keep a journal when you are starting to use this method. Each day for at least 3 weeks, write in your journal specifically how you helped your child develop a sense of belonging, learning, and contributing. Keeping a journal for an extended period of time will help encourage positive behaviour . After 3 weeks, review your notes to see your child's progress and to identify new ways to help your child.
Credits
Current as of: March 1, 2023
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
John Pope MD - Pediatrics
Thomas M. Bailey MD - Family Medicine
Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine
Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine
Current as of: March 1, 2023
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:John Pope MD - Pediatrics & Thomas M. Bailey MD - Family Medicine & Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine & Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine
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