Differences Between Self-concept And Self-esteem In Children
Children, over the years, must learn to form a positive image of themselves and to value themselves as people. That is, they have to develop a good self-concept and good self-esteem. These two terms are closely related, but they do not mean the same thing. Next, we explain the differences between self-concept and self-esteem in children.
The fact of cultivating self-love from a young age is very important to grow healthy and happy. For this reason, families must take charge of offering their children an education based on affection and mutual trust. Which is essential to achieve emotional well-being.
Differences between self-concept and self-esteem in children
Self-knowledge refers to the reflection that is made on one’s own abilities and personal characteristics. It is the way to know what are the strengths and limits that we have. In this sense, there are three dimensions that define self-knowledge:
- Cognitive.
- Descriptive
- Evaluative.
Depending on the use of these dimensions, a person’s self-concept and self-esteem are specified. Taking this into account, it can be said that self-concept is based on the cognitive and descriptive dimension, since it is the set of traits, attributes, thoughts, skills and values that are used to define oneself as an independent individual and different from others.
On the other hand, self-esteem has a multidimensional and global character, since it is the subjective perception and assessment that one makes of oneself, both in the personal and social spheres. Therefore, it has a more emotional component.
These two constructs evolve in different ways depending on the evolutionary age and the experiences one has in everyday life. Therefore, we can talk about a series of differences between self-concept and self-esteem in children
The development of self-concept in children
The development of self-concept in children varies, as follows, over the years:
- From 1 to 3 years. At this time the goal of the little ones is to get their own recognition. This consists of learning to distinguish the identity of oneself and that of others. Thus, from the first year of life, children know how to visually recognize themselves and, little by little, they acquire the ability to identify their abilities and qualities. It will depend on this whether they become more or less self-confident children.
- From 3 to 6 years. Children at these ages tend to define themselves based on the social relationships they establish and what authority figures say about them. Therefore, they are described based on external personal attributes and in a global way.
- From 6 to 12 years old. At school age, children are defined as people with feelings, thoughts, and desires that are different from those of others. In addition, they already differentiate psychological, physical and social characteristics, and use comparison to evaluate them.
- From 12 years old. In adolescence, young people establish a more differentiated, complex and realistic self-concept. They seek to find themselves, trying to be independent, so they focus on discovering their tastes, interests, motivations, etc.
The development of self-esteem
Self-esteem undergoes variations throughout maturational development. But, contrary to the self-concept, self-esteem does not appear in the first years of life, but begins after 3 years.
- Preschool. During these years, the little ones develop an idealized and unrealistic self-esteem, since they confuse the person they want to be and who they really are. In fact, at these ages, they only focus on assessing their physical and academic skills.
- School. In this age, self-esteem becomes more complex and abstract, but it remains unrealistic. Thus, up to 7 and 8 years, self-esteem is high and positive. Then it descends until it stabilizes. This will depend on:
- Family education and parenting style.
- Experiences in social relationships.
- The evaluation of successes and failures.
- Adolescence. At puberty, self-esteem tends to decline. This is due to social pressure to please others, especially friends. And, in addition, the physical aspect becomes more important. But, as they grow and become adults, self-esteem tends to realistically increase, valuing both personal abilities and limitations.
In conclusion
In short, although the development of self-concept and self-esteem are closely linked to each other, there are multiple differences between these terms. But they also have aspects in common, since both constructs serve to help people understand their thoughts, actions and behaviors. Thus, the level of self-esteem and the perception of self-concept will mark one type of personality or another in children.
