How to Promote Self-Improvement in Children

Don't miss these tips in the following article, which will help you learn how to promote self-improvement in children.
How to Promote Self-Improvement in Children
María José Roldán

Written and verified by the psychopedagogue María José Roldán.

Last update: 23 November, 2023

We should all have a well-worked sense of self-improvement. This feeling makes us want to improve ourselves without having to compete with anyone but, rather, seek to overcome our own personal challenges. For this reason, we’re going to explain how to promote self-improvement in children.

In fact, in order to have good self-esteem, self-improvement, being able to tolerate frustration, and being aware of the importance of learning from mistakes is fundamental. This way, children, both in their present and in their future, will be able to better cope with the problems that may arise in their daily lives.

The sooner you start working on self-improvement, the more beneficial it’ll be for life as a whole. It produces positive feelings and is invaluable in children’s development. They’ll feel loved, they’ll have healthy self-esteem, and, in addition, they’ll experience the gratification of doing things well. In short, they’ll be happier and very productive children!

Learning from a young age


Children constantly learn new skills and, when they acquire them and receive the right stimulus, they feel very good about having achieved them. What’s more, they’ll have enough motivation to continue learning more things with a good attitude.

The confidence they gain is just as important as the skills they’re learning in order to function better in society. Learning from mistakes is the wisest learning that any person can have in order to improve in the future with new and reinforced skills. 

Teach your children self-improvement

But how can you promote self-improvement in your children? Take note because, below, we’re going to explain some of the most important tips that you should take into account in the daily upbringing of your children.

Have confidence in yourself

Be a good role model by applying confidence, let your children see that you have confidence in yourself and your skills. If something doesn’t work the first time, it’s okay! You learn from what you didn’t do well and you try again. That perseverance and eagerness to improve through learning are key examples we can set for our kids.

We mustn’t pretend that we’re perfect because we’re not. We just have to control our anxiety when something goes wrong and focus on the positive aspects so that, in this way, we can improve the next time.

Nobody is perfect

As we just mentioned above, no one’s perfect, and this is a good thing. Your children must understand that no one expects them to be perfect. Far from it! Therefore, it’s essential to know how to react well to the disappointments and frustrations that may arise in day-to-day life.

That’s why we should never, under any circumstances, get angry for making mistakes, but rather learn from them. Mistakes are our teachers! So don’t be afraid of failure, because failure’s normal and life’s full of obstacles; what you have to know how to do is to overcome them with calm and perseverance.

Allow your children to make mistakes to promote self-improvement in them

As a parent, it’s normal for you to want to protect your children from all of life’s misfortunes, but that would only make it more difficult for them to live a full life. So, just as you shouldn’t get upset about mistakes, you have to allow your children to fail so that they can learn from their own mistakes as well.

In fact, for children, a wonderful way to encourage their learning is through trial and error. If they don’t succeed at something, they should realize that tomorrow’s another day and life goes on. That’s why it’s best to focus on their effort so that consistency doesn’t wane as they become older.

A mother explaining something to her young son.


Encouraging good problem solving

It’s also essential to teach children how to solve their problems. Guide them in managing their activities, but don’t rescue them at the first adversity they encounter.

If you feel that your child has a problem, ask them what they want to do about it and show them different options in case they feel emotionally blocked. From these options, you’ll have to choose the most appropriate one and talk to them about the fact that all problems can be seen from different perspectives and different solutions can be found. We just have to choose the one that best suits us.

In short, there are always new opportunities to improve and you just have to keep an open mind to find them. It’s a way to empower our children from a young age to find their passion both in the things they already know how to do and in the new skills they have yet to learn. May they never lack new goals!


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Morató García, A. (2020) Creo en ti: 6 cuentos cortos para ayudarnos a tomar buenas decisiones. Editorial: Independiente.

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.