| What_Kids_Who_Are_Moving_Should_Do Moving isn't easy for anyone. Scared, excited, and angry are just a few of the feelings kids may have about moving. |
| What\'s_Normal?__Overcoming_Obstacles_and_Stereotypes Companion to the PBS broadcast explores the meaning of "normal" by introducing stories of teens who live with social or physical challenges and work to defy stereotypes. |
| Why_Am_I_In_Family_Therapy? Explains family therapy to children and teens. |
| Why_Do_We_Get_Nervous? Explains why kids feel anxious sometimes and tells what a phobia is. |
| You_Are_a_Special_Person Tips on how to enjoy relationships with family and friends. |
| YouthLine Offers free and confidential information, advice and counselling to young people under 25 in and around Bracknell, Berkshire, UK. |
| Youthline Free New Zealand youth helpline for kids and teens ages 12 and up. Includes helping ideas, stories, FAQs, information, resources and map of Youthline Centres locations. |
| Advanced_Industry_Mentors Week-long half-day camps for ages 8-16 in Toronto, Ontario, using LEGO robotic kits to explore engineering and design careers. |
| Adventures_in_Computing_Computer_Camps Day camp programs offered by Digital Adventures in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Topics include video game design, web design and computing fundamentals. |
| Camp_CAEN Computer and technology exploration summer camp, residential and commuter, for ages 13 to 17, at the University of Michigan's College of Engineering. |
| Camp_Fitch_Computer_Camp Offers a residential computer program, plus outdoor activities, at YMCA camp on the shore of Lake Erie in Ohio. For campers through age 17. |
| Computing_Insights Three-week summer program at the University of Toronto to introduce high school students to computer science. Describes schedule, topics, and other details. |
| CyberARTS_Camp,_Toronto,_Canada Offers week-long day camp programs for ages 8-17, with course topics including introduction to computer graphics, web design, and advanced 3D animation. |
| Cybercamps Residential and day camps for ages 7-18, teaching web design, 3D animation, programming, digital arts, and game design at several U.S. university locations. Includes list of locations, price, and cour |
| DigiPen_Institute_of_Technology_Summer_Workshops Summer camps for grade 5-12 students wanting to learn video game programming and design, 3D animation, and robotics, in Redmond, Washington, and Kenosha, Wisconsin. |
| Digital_Adventures_-_Computer_Camps Offers day camps in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, including video game design, web page design and general computing. Site includes campers' web pages. |
| Digital_Media_Academy_Teen_Focus Conducts week-long summer computer camps for high school teens, including video game design, digital graphics, 3D animation, and web design. Day/overnight programs located at Stanford University and U |
| Emagination_Computer_Camps Offers day and overnight programs in the Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago areas for kids ages 8 to 17. Includes web design, game design, programming, build a PC, model rocketry, LEGO robots, |
| Emagination_Game_Design Two-week program for teens 16-18 gives an intensive overview of the game design industry and allows partcipants to be part of a design team that creates an original video game. Waltham, Massachusetts. |
| Futurekids_Ottawa Offers computer camps, after school classes, and programs to students ages 7-14 in the Ottawa area. |
| iD_Tech_Computer_Camps Offers weeklong, day and overnight camp programs for ages 7-17 at several US university campuses. Subjects include computer programming, digital video production, and robotics. |
| Kid_Tech_Academy Offers camps and after-school programs in the Chicago area, featuring computer skills and fun. Topics include Web design, digital imaging, games, and Internet. |
| Mentor_Systems_Computer_Camps Residential and day camps for one week each for age 12 - 16 during July in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada covering web site building, programming in C++, graphics, and peer-to-peer programs. |
| National_Computer_Camps Offers summer residential and day camp programs for ages 8-18 at several different colleges and universities around the U.S. |
| Storming_Robots\'_RoboCamp Offers week-long day camps using LEGO robotics components in central New Jersey. Campers age 9-14 build and program LEGO robots. Schedules, location, program descriptions, and costs. |
| SummerTech_Computer_Camps Offers one-week summer programs for day and overnight campers ages 8-16 at several U.S. college and university campus locations. Subjects include programming, Web design, Flash animation, and game d |
| TechKnowHow_Computer_and_Lego_Summer_Camps Offers programs for ages 6 to 16 at several San Francisco Bay Area locations. Lists courses, locations, fees, and other details. |
| TechNet_Web_Design_Summer_Camp Offers day camps for ages 13 to 18 in Georgia, USA, covering web design, Flash, and related topics. |
| Virtual_Ventures Offers summer day camps for grades 1-12 in Ottawa, Ontario. Also conducts youth and workshops throughout the year. |
| Vision_Tech_Camps Offers after-school classes and summer camps in the San Francisco Bay Area, including robotics, web design, animation, and other high tech fields. For kids ages 9-17. |
| COA_Kid\'s Learn about collecting mollusks and shells with jokes, games, facts, and activities. |
| Dan\'s_Matchbox_Picture_Pages Features galleries of Matchbox cars including new finds and toy cars. |
| Dutch_Flippo_Site Has various types of Looney Tunes flippos from Smiths-Lays. |
| Jeannie\'s_House Fun site showing plush collectible toys and educational information about the animals they represent. |
| My_Toys_in_the_Attic Photos of a toy collection including model kits and tin toys. |
| Rachelle\'s_Caps Pictures and information on a young girl's attempt to break the world record for the largest cap collection. |
| Shabbir_Malik\'s_Matchbox_Toys Traces the history of the company and tells about the various lines of diecast cars and trucks it has produced over the years. |
| Smithsonian_Kids_-_Collecting Smithsonian experts tell how to start and care for collections. Exhibit also displays collected treasures from the Hope Diamond to Franklin D. Roosevelt's stamp sketches. [Requires Flash and Real Play |
| The_Teddy_Bear_Page_by_Gregory_Bear Collector's site with online games, puzzles and a screensaver, all relating to teddy bears. |
| The_Ashmore_Archives Large archive of photographs, transcripts, downloads, and the latest news on Shawn. |
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KidsHealth >Kids > Dealing With Feelings > My Emotions & Behaviors > The Story on Self-Esteem
You can't touch it, but it affects how you feel. You can't see it, but it's there when you look at yourself in the mirror. You can't hear it, but it's there every time you talk about yourself. What is this important but mysterious thing? It's your self-esteem!What Is Self-Esteem?To understand self-esteem, it helps to break the term into two words. Let's take a look at the word esteem (say: ess-teem) first. Esteem is a fancy word for thinking that someone or something is important or valuing that person or thing. For example, if you really admire your friend's dad because he volunteers at the fire department, it means you hold him in high esteem. And the special trophy for the most valuable player on a team is often called an esteemed trophy. This means the trophy stands for an important accomplishment.And self means, well, yourself! So put the two words together and it's easier to see what self-esteem is. It's how much you value yourself and how important you think you are. It's how you see yourself and how you feel about your achievements.Self-esteem isn't bragging about how great you are. It's more like quietly knowing that you're worth a lot (priceless, in fact!). It's not about thinking you're perfect — because nobody is — but knowing that you're worthy of being loved and accepted.Why Self-Esteem Is ImportantSelf-esteem isn't like a cool pair of sneakers that you'd love to have but don't have to have. A kid needs to have self-esteem. Good self-esteem is important because it helps you to hold your head high and feel proud of yourself and what you can do. It gives you the courage to try new things and the power to believe in yourself. It lets you respect yourself, even when you make mistakes. And when you respect yourself, s and other kids usually respect you, too.Having good self-esteem is also the ticket to making good choices about your mind and body. If you think you're important, you'll be less likely to follow the crowd if your friends are doing something dumb or dangerous. If you have good self-esteem, you know that you're smart enough to make your own decisions. You value your safety, your feelings, your health — your whole self! Good self-esteem helps you know that every part of you is worth caring for and protecting.How Kids Get Self-EsteemBabies don't see themselves in a good or bad way. They don't think "I'm great!" when they let out a big burp or worry "Oh, no, this diaper makes my legs look weird!" Instead, people around a baby help him or her develop self-esteem. How? By encouraging the baby when he or she learns to crawl, walk, or talk. They often say, "Good job. Good for you!" When people take good care of a baby, that also helps him or her feel lovable and valuable.As kids gets older, they can have a bigger role in developing their self-esteem. Achievements — like getting a good grade on a test or making the All-Star soccer team — are things kids can be proud of. So are having a good sense of humor or being a good friend.A kid's family and other people in his or her life — like coaches, teammates, and classmates — also can boost his or her self-esteem. They can help a kid figure out how to do things or notice his or her good qualities. They can believe in the kid and encourage him or her to try again when something doesn't go right the first time. It's all part of kids learning to see themselves in a positive way, to feel proud of what they've done, and to be confident that there's a lot more they can do.A Little on Low Self-EsteemMaybe you know kids with low self-esteem who don't think very highly of themselves or seem to criticize themselves too much. Or maybe you have low self-esteem and don't always feel very good about yourself or think you're important.Sometimes a kid will have low self-esteem if his mother or father doesn't encourage him enough or if there is a lot of yelling at home. Other times, a kid's self-esteem can be hurt in the classroom. A teacher may make a kid feel dumb or perhaps there is a bully who says hurtful things.For some kids, classes at school can seem so hard that they can't keep up or get the grades they'd hoped for. This can make them feel bad about themselves and hurt their self-esteem. Their self-esteem will improve when a teacher, tutor, or counselor encourages them, is patient, and helps them get back on track with learning. When they start to do well, their self-esteem will skyrocket!And some kids have good self-esteem but then something happens to change that. For example:If a kid moves and doesn't make friends right away at the new school, he or she might start to feel bad.Kids whose parents divorce also may find that this can affect self-esteem. They may feel unlovable or to blame for the divorce.A kid who feels too fat or too thin may start thinking that means he or she isn't good enough.Even going through the body changes of puberty — something that everybody does — can affect a kid's self-esteem.Boosting Your Self-EsteemOf course it's OK to have ups and downs in your feelings, but having low self-esteem isn't OK. Feeling like you're not important can make you sad and can keep you from trying new things. It can keep you from making friends or hurt how you do at school.Having strong self-esteem is also a very big part of growing up. As you get older and face tough decisions — especially under peer pressure — the more self-esteem you have, the better. It's important to know you're worth a lot.If you think you might have low self-esteem, try talking to an you trust about it. He or she may be able to help you come up with some good ideas for building your self-esteem.In the meantime, here are a few things that you can try to increase your self-esteem:Make a list of the stuff you're good at. It can be anything from drawing or singing to playing a sport or telling a good joke. If you're having trouble with your list, ask your mom or dad to help you with it. Then add a few things to the list that you'd like to be good at. Your mom or dad can help you plan a way to work on those skills or talents.Give yourself three compliments every day. Don't just say, "I'm so great." Be specific about something good about yourself, like, "I was a good friend to Jill today" or "I did better on that test than I thought I would." While you're at it, before you go to bed every night, list three things in your day that really made you happy.Remember that your body is your own, no matter what shape, size, or color it is. If you are worried about your weight or size, you can check with your doctor to make sure that things are OK. Remind yourself of things about your body that are cool, like, "My legs are strong and I can skate really well."Remember that there are things about yourself you can't change. You should accept and love these things — such as skin color and shoe size — because they are part of you.When you hear negative comments in your head, tell yourself to stop. When you do this, you take the power away from the voice inside that discourages you.By focusing on the good things you do and all your great qualities, you learn to love and accept yourself — the main ingredients for strong self-esteem! Even if you've got room for improvement (and who doesn't?), realizing that you're valuable and important helps your self-esteem to shine.Reviewed by: David V. Sheslow, PhDDate reviewed: November 2008 
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