Help for the Child with an Inferiority Complex

It is easy for a child to develop an inferiority complex and such a complex can last for a lifetime. What is an inferiority complex? An inferiority complex is a feeling of not being good enough, feeling inferior to others. How does a child develop an inferiority complex? There are several ways in which a child may develop an inferiority complex but it is often due to comparison to siblings or others as well as a constant barrage of negative statements.

Parents may unwittingly compare siblings without realizing the harmful effects their statements can have on their children. Just saying something as simples as "Why is this so difficult for you? Your sister always makes good grades," can have a profound impact on your child. As children grow older they learn to compare themselves to others. It is important to realize that your children are unique individuals with their own strengths and weaknesses. It is equally important to emphasize those individual strengths rather than making comparisons.

Each child is a unique expression of creation. He is not his brother, sister, cousin, mother, father or friend. He is an individual with his own character traits. Each child needs the freedom to grow with his own personality. He needs the freedom to express himself in ways unique to his own being. He should not be made to feel inferior to anyone because he is not. A child should never have to feel that she is inferior because she doesn't play a sport or musical instrument as well as someone else or because she has brown frizzy hair rather than silky blonde hair like her sister. Each child is beautiful and talented in his or her own way.

Parents aren't the only ones that make the mistake of comparing children. This type of unconscious behavior often occurs with relatives, teachers, friends, coaches and others. Some people tend to participate in such malicious behavior as a way to boost their own low self-esteem. Most people do it without even consciously realizing that they are doing it. Some people may use this form of misguided perception to inspire or motivate a child. It does neither.