They rely on parents and caregivers to provide opportunities for physical activities which are fun and easy to participate in, such as bicycling, walking, or wheeling, dancing, games of ball or tag in the summer and sledding or building a snowman in the winter. Playing actively with their friends and family should be encouraged. Children enjoy feeling good about themselves. Like adults, children come in different shapes and sizes. Positive attitudes about body image and one's self are important.
Adults can help build self-esteem by providing affection and attention.
Children look to adults as models. If parents and caregivers feel good about themselves, children are more likely to as well. Healthy eating, active play and positive feelings about their bodies and themselves, promote well-being in preschoolers and put them well on their way to establishing lifelong health. Although children move through spurts of growth then plateaus, they follow their own patterns of growth. Measuring height and weight over time will determine the individual's pattern.