Final answer:
For children to develop a healthy self-concept, Carl Rogers suggested that unconditional positive regard from parents is essential. Authoritative parenting, characterized by warmth and responsiveness, is also linked to positive self-esteem and social skills in children. These factors contribute to a child's overall well-being and help them align their ideal self with their real self.
Step-by-step explanation:
Carl Rogers, a humanistic theorist, emphasized the importance of self-concept, which is composed of our thoughts and feelings about ourselves. According to Rogers, a healthy self-concept is facilitated when there is congruence between the ideal self and the real self. For children to develop a healthy self-concept, unconditional positive regard from parents is necessary. This means that parents should offer unconditional love and acceptance, allowing children to feel valued and thereby developing a more positive and caring attitude towards themselves.
Furthermore, authoritative parenting, which involves reasonable demands, consistent limits, warmth, and responsiveness to the child's point of view, promotes high self-esteem and social skills in children. These parenting practices enable the child to feel a sense of competence and motivate them to work harder and accomplish more. In contrast, a lack of this supportive environment can lead to a discrepancy between the ideal self and real self, negatively impacting the child's self-concept.
The development of a positive self-concept is crucial throughout various stages of development, such as during Erikson's stages of toddlerhood to adolescence, and is influenced by parental support and the quality of the parent-child relationship. As children grow into adolescence, although they tend to spend less time with parents and more with peers, a warm and healthy parent-child relationship continues to be linked with positive outcomes, such as better grades and fewer school behavior problems.