How do you really raise self esteem? This week we take a look at all the talk about young people, narcissism and the self esteem movement. Then we answer the question: how do you raise self esteem?

Listen to episode 9 on self esteem and narcissism.

Show Notes

Quick Summary of major points:

How self esteem grows:

Doing well (achieving your goals), on

Tasks that you value (are important to you)

How to give effective praise:

Be sincere

Don’t praise too frequently

Be specific - help your child learn what strategies lead to success

Be careful about attributing success to “smarts” - that can backfire. Try to focus on the effort that went into success

Links mentioned in this episode:

You’ll love the movie The Incredibles. Look for the various references to self esteem throughout the movie.

DVD review of The Incredibles which discusses the references to self esteem.

Another review of The Incredibles which also points out the references to the controversy over self esteem.

Here’s the link to the article entitled, “How Not To Talk to your Kids” by Po Bronson which addresses the self esteem issue.

Here’s the link to Po Bronson’s great book “What Should I Do With My Life?” on Amazon: What Should I Do with My Life?: The True Story of People Who Answered the Ultimate Question