From the author: Support from parents is important for a child so that he grows up courageous and with adequate self-esteem. But we often mistake other things for support, for example, advice or the desire to solve an issue instead of a child, and sometimes we take the side of teachers. How to properly support a child is discussed in the article. We often want to protect our children, protect them from problems, and prevent difficult situations. We want to teach them to behave correctly, to stand up for themselves, or vice versa, not to conflict, but to obey the educator or teacher. We bombard them with advice, or, on the contrary, we send them out on their own, so that they can learn everything from their own experience. This is all a natural desire of parents. We want what is best for our children. The reality is that situations will always be different, and all of them cannot be foreseen or trained in advance. And the main thing is that the child himself needs to go through a lot and draw his own personal conclusions. This is, of course, not about giving the child complete freedom and independence. But rather about the opportunities for him to understand the situation himself and have the right to choose a response. One way or another, situations often occur in childhood when a child needs the support of his parents. What is important to remember when a child needs your support? Accept the child for who he is. With his experiences, problems and takes them seriously. The child is already an individual, with his own values, perhaps different from yours. For him now, those things that may seem ridiculous and funny to you are very important. But this is his world, and this is really important to him now. Take his problem seriously. Give the child the opportunity to fully express himself and cry if he needs to. Don’t interrupt him. When a situation unfolds in a children’s group or with the participation of teachers, always take the child’s side. This means not to let the situation develop in the direction that other people punish the child, and at the same time you take their side. This is very important for the formation of a child’s healthy psyche. Already at home you can analyze the situation that happened and make a decision; if punishment is necessary, then it should be on your part, but not affect your attitude towards the child, only the situation and action. At the same time, the child must know that you love him, and we are talking only about the situation and his actions. And of course, physical punishment of children is unacceptable at any age. The child should know that there are close people who will listen to him. The value of parents lies in the fact that they listen to the child. There is no need to give advice to the child when he does not ask you, and if he asks, just tell him what you would do in his situation, but in any case, only he knows what is best to do. There is no need to solve current situations for him when he does not ask. Most often, a child just needs to speak out and feel your support in this regard. If the child’s parents support him in this way, then when he grows up, he will not need to improve his self-esteem. Such support is a guarantee that he will be more self-confident and make decisions boldly, will respect himself and others and will know his boundaries and be able to protect himself. I wish you and your children well-being and happiness!