Unconditional Self Esteem Article Analysis

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When It comes to the topic of how to prepare our children to face the challenges of adult life, most of us will agree that promotion of self-esteem is the best way to do it.Where this agreement usually ends, however is on the question of does promotion of unconditional self-esteem among kids make them better adults or it sugar coats the challenges that lay ahead in the real world where everyone is not a winner. In his article ’Do our kids get off to easy’ that appeared in the New York Times newspaper on May 4, 2014 republished through the academic database Opposing Viewpoints In Context, Alfie Kohn addresses the critics of promoting unconditional self-esteem among children in relation to their development.
There is growing trend in the country were parents and teachers alike are promoting the idea of everyone is a winner in competitive sports like soccer were everyone is given a medal whether they have won or lost or any other competitive activity like a beauty pageant, this is meant to promote unconditional self-esteem among kids which is seen as one of the ways to prepare them for adulthood. However critics to such methods argue that promotion of unconditional self-esteem does not encourage the child to be innovative or hardworking since at the end of the day everyone is a winner no matter what their contribution is, this is contrary
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He asserts that self-esteem is related to a number of life factors such as experiencing school success, feeling happy and satisfied, making healthy lifestyle choices, having rewarding relationships, and demonstrating effective coping skills. He further deplores the promotion of low self-esteem through three factors namely deprivation, teaching the value of scarcity and endorsement to