While working around the house Monday afternoon, I turned on the TV, which happened to be tuned to Tyra Banks. Not being a particularly fashion conscious individual, I had not thought I would enjoy this show when it first aired several years ago, but I have found that she covers some pretty interesting topics some days, so I decided to see what she was talking about.
Her topic was how parents can build self-esteem in their children. Hmm, I wasn’t sure that I was going to agree with the findings she presented, but it couldn’t hurt to check it out. Who knows, I might be surprised.
So I sat and watched the first several minutes while finishing up my lunch. Then I left the TV on as I went about my business, catching bits and pieces throughout the show.
I didn’t come away with any great parenting tips, but what the expert said at the end of the show really struck me.
The expert gave a list of warning signs that you should look for to see if your child has low self-esteem.
1. Fearful of trying new things
2. Socially isolated
3. Easily frustrated
4. Acts as though nothing bothers them
5. Easily swayed by the opinions of others
What I found fascinating about this list is that all but the last point are common traits of people with high-functioning Autism.
As someone with high-functioning Autism, I don’t generally suffer from low self-esteem. I have those other traits for very different reasons. I think that is true for others with Autism, as well.
I’ll talk about each of those traits in my upcoming blogs. Talk to you soon!
