Asked on 15th April 2008  |  0 replies

Answered on 8th May 2008:

I believe my parents just acted normal: encouraged me to speak up for myself, have an opinion, be truthful, never be mean, care about other people, help whenever I can, make a difference between good and bad and take responsibility for my actions. They also always gave me a pat on the back when I did well and talked to me when I did not do well. In the end, this leads to mind clarity, understanding of things, good relationships, desire to discover the world and ... self respect. And we all know that when one respects himself/herself, other people do so too. On the opposite side, opinionless kids, with no ideas to stand for, no voice to speak up -- you know the type: the ones taught be their incredibly smart parents to be politically correct, be careful not to offend anybody type, be perfect, do not do mistakes, do not embarrass me for God's sake! etc. etc.-- with no responsibilities, cannot ever became self confident ... Now there are situations and kids who need more support than other to grow self-confident, and that's where the parents, the teachers, the rest of the people they come in contact with can come in and help.

9 replies