Self-esteem

[Lezliej]

I'm not sure how to sign "self-esteem".

Thanks!

[Bill]

can you put it in a sentence?

[Lezliej]

Good self-esteem is important to a child's development.

[dmmetler]

I'm thinking the concept would be closest to REGARD of SELF or FEELINGS about YOURSELF, but I'm not sure if that's how you'd sign it without risking spilling over into either emotions (which aren't the same thing) or physical sensations.

PRIDE may be the closest concept, but again, pride isn't quite the same as self-esteem.

[Lezliej]

I'm thinking maybe SELF CONFIDENCE too. Hmmm, its for church this morning so, I'll just decide then :)
Thanks!

[aligreat]

I attended a lecture on "Emotional Intellignece" at the California School for the Deaf in Fremont. Self-Esteem was translated as SELF WORTH.

In case you didn't know...
SELF--Take an A handshape and jab the knuckles of the 4 fingers at whichever self you mean with a slight bounce. If I were signing YOURSELF, I would make the A handshape and point my knuckles in your direction; the bounce is done in the direction of the person, as if you were pretending to hit someone lightly. I have seen MYSELF signed two ways: the thumb part of the A handshape bounces on my chest lightly 2 times, or the A handshape is turned around so that the knuckles of the 4 fingers bounce lightly on my chest 2 times. Similar signs are done for HIMSELF, OURSELVES, THEMSELVES, etc. using the same principle of pronouns but using the A handshape instead of the index finger.

WORTH--Take 2 F handshapes, palms down at navel level, with the index fingers and thumbs touching. If your starting position were 6:00 on a clock face, your hands would be tracing the numbers of the clock (the right hand touching 5, 4, 3, 2, & 1 and the left hand touching 7, 8, 9, 10, & 11) until they both reached 12:00 at the same time. The size of the clock shows the degree of worth or importance. You can have 6:00 at the navel and 12:00 just a couple of inches above it, or if something were very important the clock would be very big and would be drawn slowly until reaching 12:00 at about chin level.

FYI--in ASL the sign VERY isn't really used, except by people who are just learning. The sign for WORTH is also translated as IMPORTANT. You could tell your child "It is important to brush your teeth everyday." Since this isn't really life threatening, especailly to a child with baby teeth, you would use the first example where the sign is only a few inches big. If you were telling your child that it is important to not run out into the street, you would use the latter example with IMPORTANT having a large circle starting at navel level and going all the way up to your chin.

And you thought I was just going to give you a simple sign description... ;)

[amiller]

Rachel signs "important" as described by AliGreat in ABC signs (I is for Ice and for Important)