Children begin to worry about their appearance at around 2 years
We are all aware that when we set foot on the street, many looks focus on our appearance and attitude. Acquaintances and strangers make several judgments about how we dress, the hairstyle we have chosen or the behavior we show. From this information, they elaborate an idea about our person, a view that everyone likes to take care of.
But does this extend concern to the kids? Do the youngest in the house think about their own reputation and image, or are their minds focused on other aspects? The answer is yes, even children tend to take care of the vision others have about themselves in order to get the most positive evaluation possible from those around them.
Concern about two years
These conclusions have been reached from the study prepared by Emory University where a total of 144 children from 14 and 24 months. All these children were subjected to a total of four experiments. The first of this test consisted in manipulating the buttons of a remote control to handle a robot, the researchers had to keep observing the children or pretend to read a magazine.
When they observed the children, they showed more reluctance to manipulate the buttons on the remote control. For him contrary, when if the researchers looked away, they felt less embarrassed to operate with this device. In the second test, two devices were granted, one qualified as "positive" and the other as "negative" and therefore with a reputation of forbidden.
The results of this second experiment showed that when the children were observed, they pressed the buttons of the "positive" remote control more, whereas when the people in charge of the study they looked, the minors tended to manipulate the "negative". That is to say, the minors sought to show a correct attitude in front of their observers.
A sign that children, at these ages, are attentive to their surroundings and seek to prove to the rest that are good. That is, they care about their reputation. In the third experiment, two remote controls were offered, but this time the devices were not qualified in any way, causing the small ones to have no conscience charge for it.
In the last experiment, two investigators sat facing each other as they watched the child or turned their backs on him while pressing the remote control. When the response of the adults was positive, the More smalls They had less fear to manipulate this device.
Self-esteem in children
As has been proven in this research, self-esteem is one of the children's concerns, even in their stages earlier. Reinforcing this feeling in the little ones will provide a great security for their day to day and will provide great security when it comes to meeting their goals. From the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, AEP, the following tips are offered for this purpose:
- Accept the child as he is, with his qualities and his defects, know what he does well, have at hand a list of his qualities and do not hesitate to remind them, also in the presence of others.
- Offer the child positive thoughts, either in word, with gestures or emotions.
- Dedicate time to the child, only for him, exclusive attention, without giving lessons or correcting his actions, speaking with him in a positive way, so that only he hears it.
- Recognize your effort, even if he does not do it or rejects it.
- Recognize also their tastes and interests.
- Recognize their ability to think and propose solutions to problems, trying not to intervene in the reasoning and avoiding solving their own problems, that is, avoiding overprotection.
- Count on him for daily tasks, with the intention that the invitation is another opportunity for success.
- The comparison with others that make things better or the sarcasm or the free prank does not help more than to reduce the self-esteem.
- Do not stop being realistic, there are acts that are to congratulate and others to correct.
- Teach and educate children in respect for others, encourage cooperation and collaboration more than competition.
Damián Montero
