EVERYONE

ADULTS

Consequences:Oftentimes, as a result of these past experiences, many adults are unable to live a happy and fulfilling life. Consequently their relationships with others (including spouse, children, family / friends and employers) may be adversely affected as well.  In some instances, this devastation is taken to a level that might include one or more of the following: 

• Drug / alcohol dependency
• Domestic abuse (physical and emotional)
• Violence
• Crime
• Sexual promiscuity
• Eating disorders 
• Depression 
• Suicide 

Change: You can achieve a healthy and balanced self-esteem. Your life can be altered for the better – no matter what your age. Here are the fundamental requirements for change:   

• You must have the DESIRE to possess a healthy / balanced self-esteem. 
• You must take responsibility for your life and not allow others to control it or you. 
• You must be honest in identifying and understanding where you’re currently at in relationship to where you want to be. 
• You must take the steps necessary to pursue corrective action. 
• You must understand that personal development is a process and a way of life. 
• Change won’t occur overnight.
• You must realize that once a healthy self-esteem is obtained, it must also be “maintained”.
• R.O.S.E. won’t continue to grow automatically without daily nourishment!
• Refer to the many resources / links that R.O.S.E. provided to help you through this transformation process.

CHILDREN / TEENS

Planting the Seeds:The seeds of R.O.S.E. must be planted in our children early on in life, and cultivated regularly if we wish to raise them to be responsible, respectable, and confident individuals. Through proper and consistent nurturing, we can “harvest” a well-rounded and healthier (physically, emotionally and spiritually) generation of kids. 

Our children are faced with obstacles and situations in which they’re not always equipped to handle appropriately if they don’t possess a balanced level of self-esteem. Peer pressure can play a critical role in our children’s thought process as well, because they’re striving so hard to “fit in” and seek the acceptance of others. Some examples of what they’re subjected to OR potentially a party of include, but are not limited to: 

• Teasing / insulting 
• Bullying / fighting / violence (any form of aggressive)
• Gang involvement 
• Truancy (skipping school) 
• Low academics 
• Drug, tobacco and alcohol use 
• Teen pregnancy 
• Eating disorders 
• Depression 
• Suicide
• Vandalism 

• Are my clothes / shoes name branded and stylish? 
• Is my hairstyle trendy? 
• Am I the right size or am I too fat / skinny /short or tall? 
• Am I good looking enough or do I have too many physical flaws? 
• Do I live in a nice enough home / neighborhood? 
• Do I associate with the “cool” people? 
• Do I attend a prestigious school? 
• Does my family drive a sporty vehicle? 
• Do I come from wealth or poverty? 
• Are my parents / family members considered “HIP?” 
• Do I listen to the right music? 
• Do I talk-the-talk (using current slang)? 
• Do I participate in the “cool” or acceptable extra-curricular activities? 
• Do I possess trendy gear and sportswear? 

• The individuals who don’t “meet the mark” tend to experience challenges in terms of being accepted.
• As the domino affect would have it, this, once again, can result in introversion and low self-esteem.
• Do these material and physical things really matter that much, and do they determine who we REALLY are?

• Let’s not allow our traumatic past experiences or the flashy precedents set by media and society in general to affect how we raise our children.
• Let’s get our own self-esteem in check so we can live happier and healthier lives ourselves in addition to being the role models we were intended to be for our children.
• Let’s truly dare to be different if being different is morally and ethically the “right thing to do!”
• We must lead by example if we wish our youth to follow.
• Let’s talk to our children often and know / understand what’s going on in their life.
• Would you be able to answer the following questions without their input? 

- What are their interests / likes and dislikes? 
- What are their fears? 
- Who are their friends? 
- What activities are they involved in? 
- Have they experimented with tobacco / drugs / alcohol? 
- Are they involved in an intimate relationship sexual)? 
- How do they feel about themselves? 
- What do they perceive as their strengths / weaknesses? 
- Do they feel a sense of belonging? 
- What are the negative experiences they’ve encountered? 
- What are their current goals in life? 
- What are their valuable possessions? 
- Have they ever thought about suicide? 
- Do they see themselves as a leader or a follower? 
- What makes them angry? 
- How do they handle rejection? 
- Do they tease / badger / bully others OR
   are they ever the victims of such activities themselves?
- Do they brag amongst their peers or act conceited / arrogant?
- Do they speak negatively about themselves or their family?  
- What three adjectives would they use to describe themselves?
- Do they feel happy / content / miserable? 
- Do they compare themselves to others? 
- What would make them feel jealous?



• The bottom line is that we can’t reach our children in any way, shape or form if we don’t communicate with them. We must be able to LISTEN, provide feedback and advice (when applicable), offer support and guidance, interject discipline when appropriate – and most importantly, love them unconditionally at all times.

• Although we cannot determine our children’s self-esteem level, we can help them establish a solid foundation for living a fruitful life. 

R.O.S.E. EVERYWHERE | SUPPORT FROM LOCAL SCHOOLS
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