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How Dance Classes Can Positively Influence Your Child

Children may rely on their parents and other family members for approval at a young age, but once they enter school they’ll begin a shift that causes them to lean heavily in favor of their peer group when it comes to building their self-esteem. It is because of this that many children struggle with self-confidence as they head in to their adolescence; other kids can be rude, crude, and downright nasty as they, too, try to discover their own identities by trying on a variety of hats. However, there is a third option to build your child’s self-esteem, aside from the spheres of school and home life. You can also enroll your children in extracurricular activities. And although dance may not be the first thought that comes to mind (team sports and music lessons might be your first choices), there are several reasons why dance classes could be a better confidence booster for your kids.

For one thing, dance classes allow your kids to interact socially in a setting that has some structure and purpose, but also a social element that is more relaxed than school. And this can help them to develop both individually and as part of a group of like-minded children. If they excel in dance, they will start to feel good about their abilities. They can gain confidence not only from seeing their skills grow with instruction and practice, but from knowing that they can set their mind to a goal and accomplish it with hard work and diligence. And the fact that they’re sharing the experience with other children who are also building their self-esteem makes for a positive social environment in which to form relationships. This is not to say that the dance world can’t be cliquey and competitive, especially as the age group advances. But from an early age it can certainly help to endow your kids with a special skillset that provides them with added confidence.
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5 Tips to Help Your Kids Develop Self-Esteem

It is often said that kids don’t come with a handbook. While there are plenty of books out there on the subject of raising children, including those that teach you the basics of feeding and bathing, as well as those that cover cognitive development, physical milestones, and psychological growth, none can offer a blueprint that tells you exactly how to raise your child. Kids do tend to follow predictable patterns, but they’re all individuals, and you can only do your best as a parent to help them grow and develop properly. That said, there are steps you can take to achieve particular ends with your kids. If, for example, you want to ensure that your children develop the strong self-esteem that will help them to succeed in every area of life, here are a few tips to help you out.

Pose challenges. A person’s sense of self-worth can revolve around accomplishments, and in a very real way, one success can lead to another. As a parent, you not only have the ability to teach your children their very first lessons in life, but also to help them achieve their first successes. This starts with simple tasks like getting dressed, brushing teeth, tying shoes, and picking up toys, just for example. But as your kids begin to develop their motor and cognitive functions you can create more challenging tasks for them to complete, potentially increasing their self-esteem. If you continue to challenge them throughout their youth they will be better prepared to deal with the curveballs [Read more…]