What Is the Me, Myself, and I Method™ for
Building Self-Esteem in Children?

The Me, Myself, and I Method™ is Adventures in Wisdom’s framework for helping children build strong self-esteem from the inside out. It is a structured, child-centered method within the Adventures in Self-Esteem™ program that teaches children that self-esteem does not come from grades, praise, popularity, or performance. It comes from what they think, say, and believe about themselves.

Many children begin to doubt themselves early in life. The Me, Myself, and I Method™ was created to help children build a healthier relationship with themselves before outside pressure, comparison, and self-doubt become the foundation of how they see who they are.

The Me, Myself, and I Method™ is built around three internal pillars:

Me = honoring uniqueness
Myself = self-talk
I = identity and “I Am” language

Self-esteem is a skill that can be developed!

Through human-centered, story-based coaching, guided conversation, and experiential activities, children learn how to build a healthier relationship with themselves from the inside out.

Why Families and Professionals Trust Adventures in Wisdom®

Adventures in Wisdom® has been bringing life coaching and mindset skills training to children since 2010 and has been certifying coaches since 2013. 

Through its research-based coaching curriculum and child-centered STORY Coach Process, Adventures in Wisdom has helped pioneer developmentally appropriate ways to teach mindset skills to children. 

Today, certified coaches in more than 30 countries use the Adventures in Wisdom approach to help children build confidence, self-esteem, and resilience.

On This Page

• What Is the Me, Myself, and I Method™?
• Who Created the Me, Myself, and I Method™?
• Why Children Need an Inside-Out Approach to Self-Esteem
• How the Me, Myself, and I Method™ Works
• Why Story-Based, Human-Centered Coaching Works So Well for Children
• Who Is the Me, Myself, and I Method™ For?
• What Makes the Me, Myself, and I Method™ Different From Traditional Self-Esteem Advice for Kids?
• How the Me, Myself, and I Method™ Fits Within Adventures in Self-Esteem™
• What Results Is the Me, Myself, and I Method™ Designed to Help Children Create?
• Frequently Asked Questions About the Me, Myself, and I Method™
• Conclusion: Why the Me, Myself, and I Method™ Matters for Children’s Self-Esteem
• Learn More About Adventures in Self-Esteem™

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What Is the Me, Myself, and I Method™?

The Me, Myself, and I Method™ is a structured self-esteem framework created by Adventures in Wisdom® to help children build healthy self-esteem from the inside out. It teaches children that self-esteem does not come from outside approval, achievement, popularity, or comparison. It comes from what they think, say, and believe about themselves.

The method is built around three internal pillars:

Me helps children honor their uniqueness (and the uniqueness of others)
Myself helps children understand and shift self-talk.
I helps children build identity through positive “I Am” language.

Let’s look at each in more detail.

Me = Honoring Uniqueness

Me helps children honor their uniqueness. Children learn that their differences, gifts, and strengths are not “better than” or “less than” anyone else’s. They are part of what makes them valuable. This helps children build a healthier self-image instead of measuring themselves against others. The coaching story Adventures in Wisdom uses to teach this pillar is The Sun, The Wind, and The Rain, where each force of nature learns that the world works best when each one honors its own uniqueness and the uniqueness of the others.

Myself = Self-Talk

Myself teaches children about self-talk and the power of their inner voice. This pillar helps children understand that what I say to myself shapes how I see myself and that what I say to myself is more important than what anyone else says to me. Children learn to notice negative self-talk, understand how it affects confidence and feelings, and begin shifting it into more supportive language. The coaching story used to teach this pillar is Choosing Your BFF (Best Friend Forever), which helps children see why the voice inside their own mind matters so much.

I = Identity and “I Am” Language

I teaches children the power of identity through “I Am” language. Children learn that the words they place after “I am” help shape how they experience themselves. Adventures in Wisdom uses affirmations to help children build a stronger, more empowering self-image through intentional identity-based language. The coaching story used to teach this pillar is The Power of “I Am!”, which helps children understand how identity language can strengthen confidence and self-esteem from within.

The Me, Myself, and I Method™ helps children understand how self-esteem is formed and how they can build their self-esteem through uniqueness, self-talk, and identity.

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Who Created the Me, Myself, and I Method™?

Adventures in Wisdom® created the Me, Myself, and I Method™ as part of its child-centered approach to helping children build self-esteem from the inside out. The method was developed within Adventures in Self-Esteem™ to give children a clear, developmentally appropriate framework for understanding how self-esteem is shaped through uniqueness, self-talk, and identity.

Adventures in Wisdom is a pioneer in bringing life coaching and mindset skills training to children. The company developed one of the first story-based life coaching curricula designed specifically for children in 2010 and has been certifying coaches to use its child-centered coaching approach since 2013. Through that work, Adventures in Wisdom has helped define how mindset skills can be taught to children in ways they can understand, apply, and use in real life.

“No matter how much we love our children, we can’t give them self-esteem, confidence, or success in life. But we can help them develop it in themselves. And that’s what life coaching and mindset skills training is all about.”
 – Renaye Thornborrow, Founder, Adventures in Wisdom.

Today, Adventures in Wisdom supports a global community of certified coaches in more than 30 countries, and the self-esteem skills taught through this method have been used for well over a decade to help children build stronger confidence, healthier self-talk, and a more empowering sense of self.

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Why Children Need an Inside-Out Approach to Self-Esteem

Many children begin tying their self-worth to grades, praise, popularity, performance, or comparison. As a result, they feel good about themselves when things go well and bad about themselves when they make mistakes, feel left out, get criticized, or fall short. 

Adventures in Wisdom calls this “yo-yo self-esteem.” The Me, Myself, and I Method™ helps children build a steadier inner foundation by teaching that healthy self-esteem comes from within, through what they think, say, and believe about who they are.

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How the Me, Myself, and I Method™ Works

The Me, Myself, and I Method™ works by teaching children self-esteem through a clear, repeatable process they can understand and apply in everyday life. Rather than treating self-esteem as a vague idea, Adventures in Wisdom® teaches it as a set of inner skills children build step by step through story-based, human-centered coaching, guided conversation, and experiential activities.

1. Children learn what self-esteem is

Children are first introduced to the idea that self-esteem is how you feel about yourself. They learn that healthy self-esteem is not built on grades, praise, popularity, or performance. It is built from within. This gives children a new way to understand self-worth and begins shifting them away from “yo-yo self-esteem,” where feelings about themselves rise and fall based on outside circumstances.

2. Children build Me by learning to honor their uniqueness

Next, children begin building the first pillar: Me. They learn that their gifts, differences, and strengths are part of what makes them valuable. Instead of comparing themselves to others, they begin developing a healthier self-image by honoring their own uniqueness and the uniqueness of others. This lesson is reinforced through the coaching story The Sun, The Wind, and The Rain.

3. Children build Myself by understanding and shifting self-talk

Children then build the second pillar: Myself. They learn that what I say to myself shapes how I see myself and that what I say to myself is more important than what anyone else says to me. As they become more aware of negative self-talk, they begin learning how to shift it into more supportive, empowering language. This pillar is taught through the coaching story Choosing Your BFF (Best Friend Forever).

4. Children build I by practicing positive “I Am” identity language

The third pillar is I. Here, children learn that the words they place after “I am” help shape how they experience themselves. Through positive identity language and affirmations, they begin strengthening a healthier, more empowering self-image. This pillar is taught through the coaching story The Power of “I Am!”

5. Children apply each lesson through coaching stories, guided conversation, and experiential activities

Each part of the method is brought to life through story-based, human-centered coaching. Children do not just hear the lesson. They explore it through stories, talk about what it means, connect it to their own life, and practice it through experiential activities. This is what helps turn information into transformation and gives children a framework they can return to again and again as they grow.

Self-esteem does not come from what others thinkg about you.
It comes from what YOU think about you.

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Why Story-Based, Human-Centered Coaching Works So Well for Children

Children learn best when ideas are made concrete, relational, and usable. Story-based, human-centered coaching helps children understand self-esteem through connection, conversation, and experiential learning.

Stories are especially powerful because they make self-esteem concepts concrete and relatable. Instead of being told, “Honor your uniqueness,” children can see that lesson come to life in The Sun, The Wind, and The Rain. Instead of only hearing that self-talk matters, they can experience that truth through Choosing Your BFF (Best Friend Forever). Instead of simply repeating affirmations, they can understand the power of identity language through The Power of “I Am!” Stories help children see themselves in the lesson without feeling judged or put on the spot.

The human-centered coaching part matters just as much. Coaching helps turn information into transformation because a caring adult guides the child through reflective conversation and experiential activities that bring the lesson to life. Rather than just consuming content, children are supported in making meaning of it, connecting it to real situations, and practicing new ways of thinking.

This is especially important for self-esteem work because children need more than encouragement. They need a developmentally appropriate way to explore how they see themselves, what they say to themselves, and who they believe they are. Story-based, human-centered coaching gives them that bridge. It helps self-esteem move from an idea they hear to a skill they begin to live.

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Who Is the Me, Myself, and I Method™ For?

The Me, Myself, and I Method™ is designed for children who are learning how to build healthy self-esteem from the inside out. As part of Adventures in Self-Esteem™, it gives children a developmentally appropriate way to understand themselves, strengthen their inner voice, and build a healthier sense of identity through story-based, human-centered coaching.

It is especially helpful for children who struggle with comparison, self-doubt, negative self-talk, or a shaky sense of self-worth. It is also valuable for children who are doing well overall but would benefit from learning these skills proactively, before outside pressure, setbacks, or social challenges begin shaping how they see themselves.

The method also supports the adults who care for and guide children, including parents, coaches, educators, and child-focused professionals. It gives them a clear, structured framework for helping children build stronger inner foundations, not by fixing them, but by equipping them with self-esteem skills they can use for life.

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What Makes the Me, Myself, and I Method™ Different From Traditional Self-Esteem Advice for Kids?

Traditional self-esteem advice often encourages children to feel better about themselves, but doesn’t tell them how. The Me, Myself, and I Method™ teaches children how to build self-esteem through a clear, repeatable framework based on uniqueness, self-talk, and identity.

Many self-esteem messages focus on reassurance, praise, or encouragement. While those can be helpful, they do not always teach children how to build a strong inner foundation for themselves. The Me, Myself, and I Method™ takes a different approach. It helps children understand that self-esteem is shaped by what they think about themselves, what they say to themselves, and what they believe about who they are.

What I say to myself is more important than what anyone else says to me!

It is also different because it is designed specifically for children. Rather than using abstract ideas or adult-style personal development language, Adventures in Wisdom® teaches self-esteem through story-based, human-centered coaching, guided conversation, and experiential activities. That makes the learning more concrete, engaging, and easier for children to apply in everyday life.

Instead of simply telling children they are amazing, the Me, Myself, and I Method™ helps them discover how to honor their uniqueness, guide their inner voice, and strengthen their identity from the inside out. That is what makes it different from traditional self-esteem advice for kids.

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How the Me, Myself, and I Method™ Fits Within Adventures in Self-Esteem™

The Me, Myself, and I Method™ is the core self-esteem framework within Adventures in Self-Esteem™. It gives structure to how children are taught to understand self-esteem, strengthen it, and apply it in their everyday lives. Rather than standing apart from the program, it is the organizing method that helps bring the program’s self-esteem lessons together in a clear, child-centered way.

Within Adventures in Self-Esteem™, children are first introduced to the idea that self-esteem is how they feel about themselves and that it is something they can build from within. From there, the Me, Myself, and I Method™ provides the pathway: Me helps children honor their uniqueness, Myself helps them understand and guide self-talk, and I helps them strengthen identity through positive “I Am” language.

This is what makes the method such an important part of the program. Adventures in Self-Esteem™ is not just a collection of self-esteem lessons. It is a structured learning journey, and the Me, Myself, and I Method™ is the framework that gives that journey continuity and depth. Each pillar is taught through story-based lessons, guided reflection, and experiential activities that help children move from understanding the idea to living the skill.

In that sense, Adventures in Self-Esteem™ is the broader program, and the Me, Myself, and I Method™ is the core methodology within it for helping children build a healthier relationship with themselves.

Credibility Snapshot: Why This Method Matters

The Me, Myself, and I Method™ is part of a broader Adventures in Wisdom® approach that has been used with children for more than a decade.

• Bringing life coaching and mindset skills training to children since 2010
• Certifying coaches since 2013
• Certified coaches in more than 30 countries
• Story-based curriculum created specifically for children
• Real-world success stories, testimonials, and case examples showing positive change in children’s confidence, self-talk, and self-esteem
• International Coaching Federation Continuing Coach Education Provider (ICF CCE)

Success Story: Positive behavior and self-respect showing up at school

After coaching with the Adventures in Wisdom curriculum, one boy’s teacher asked his mother if anything had changed because his behavior had noticeably improved. She reported that he had started opening doors for his teacher and classmates, helping other students, and showing more respectful behavior at school.
See Johnny’s story here.

Success Story: Healthier self-talk and a happier, more confident child

A 10-year-old boy who had been struggling with anger, emotional distress, and negative thoughts about himself became “almost a whole new person” after working with a Certified WISDOM Coach®. One of the skills they worked on was developing positive self-talk. Mike shares his big breakthrough: 

“I discovered that I am in control of my feelings ─ not anyone else. This makes me feel in control of myself. How I talk to myself and think about myself is up to me. If I think bad things about myself, I feel bad about myself. If I think nice things about myself, I can shift my anger and feel happier.”

His coach reported that within a few weeks he was happier, more confident, and expressing more positive thoughts about himself.

See Mike’s story here.

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What Results Is the Me, Myself, and I Method™ Designed to Help Children Create?

The Me, Myself, and I Method™ is designed to help children create a stronger, healthier relationship with themselves. As children learn to honor their uniqueness, guide their self-talk, and strengthen their identity, they begin building the inner foundation for healthier self-esteem, stronger confidence, and a more stable sense of self-worth.

More specifically, the method is designed to help children:

• value who they are without constantly comparing themselves to others
• become more aware of negative self-talk and learn how to shift it to supportive and empowering self-talk
• use more empowering inner language that supports confidence and self-belief
• build a healthier self-image that is not dependent on outside approval
• respond to challenges with more self-awareness and self-respect

What These Results Can Look Like in Real Life

Helping children build strong self-esteem from the inside out is life-changing for children. Here are just a couple of case studies:

Stronger self-esteem and healthier self-talk

In one Adventures in Wisdom coaching case, a child named Ava strengthened her self-esteem and self-talk within just four weeks of coaching. The change was noticeable enough that her teachers asked her mother what had changed. See Ava’s case study here.

More courage and confidence with other children

In another coaching example, Tyler overcame extreme shyness and went from watching other children play from his apartment window to building the courage to join them on the playground and make new friends. He even learned how to coach himself! See Tyler’s success story here.

These outcomes reflect skills Adventures in Wisdom has helped bring to children for well over a decade through its proven coaching curriculum and story-based coaching process, certified coaches, and real-world coaching success stories.

These results matter because self-esteem shapes far more than how a child feels in the moment. It influences confidence, choices, relationships, resilience, and what a child believes is possible for their life.

In that sense, the Me, Myself, and I Method™ is designed to help children create more than better feelings about themselves. It helps them build an inner foundation they can carry with them for life.

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Frequently Asked Questions About the Me, Myself, and I Method™

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Conclusion: Why the Me, Myself, and I Method™ Matters for Children’s Self-Esteem

The Me, Myself, and I Method™ matters because it gives children a clear, child-centered way to build self-esteem from the inside out. Instead of teaching children to base self-worth on praise, performance, popularity, or comparison, Adventures in Wisdom® created this method to help them strengthen the inner skills that shape how they see themselves every day.

By helping children honor their uniqueness, guide their self-talk, and build identity through positive “I Am” language, the method gives them more than encouragement. It gives them a practical framework for building healthier self-esteem in a way they can understand, apply, and carry forward as they grow.

Through story-based, human-centered coaching, guided conversation, and experiential activities, the Me, Myself, and I Method™ helps turn self-esteem from a vague idea into a lived skill. That is why it matters for children and why it is such an important part of Adventures in Self-Esteem™.

Rooted in Adventures in Wisdom’s decade-plus history of bringing life coaching and mindset skills training to children, the Me, Myself, and I Method™ reflects a proven, child-centered approach to helping children build healthy self-esteem from the inside out.

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Learn More About Adventures in Self-Esteem™

If you are a parent who wants to help your child build healthy self-esteem from the inside out, Adventures in Self-Esteem™ gives you a story-based, child-friendly way to begin. Through guided lessons, meaningful conversation, and experiential activities, children learn how to honor their uniqueness, strengthen self-talk, and build a healthier sense of identity.

If you are a coach, educator, or child-focused professional who want to help children build self-esteem in a deeper, more structured way, Adventures in Wisdom® also offers training and certification to help you bring these tools and methods to the children and families you serve.

For Parents

Learn more about the Adventures in Self-Esteem™ home study program and how it helps children build self-esteem from the inside out through story-based learning and human-centered support.

For Professionals

Learn more about training and certification through Adventures in Wisdom® if you want to use story-based coaching and mindset skills training to help children grow in confidence, self-esteem, and self-leadership.

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