The world can be a confusing and challenging place. This is especially true for a child. Children don’t have a lot of control over their lives. They also have to spend all day with other children, who can be less than supportive and encouraging.
It’s your responsibility as a parent to ensure that your child has a healthy level of self-confidence.
Try these tips to boost your child’s self-confidence and watch them bloom:
Work on your own self-confidence
If your self-confidence is low, others can see that, including your children. They grow to view that lack of self-confidence as normal and mimic your behaviour and attitude.
Avoid helicopter parenting
You might think that you’re helping your child by protecting them from every little thing that might harm them, but you might be doing more harm than good. Dealing with life’s minor hiccups on their own teaches them how capable they can be.
Help your child to set and reach appropriate goals.
Regardless of age, few things will do more to boost someone’s self-confidence than setting a meaningful goal and achieving it. Set goals that aren’t too challenging to achieve.
Too much praise can be a bad thing.
When you’re constantly telling your child how perfect they are, they can fall into the trap of needing to be perfect all the time. Or, they might be confused by your obviously inaccurate praise.
Allow your child to make choices.
Sure, your child’s blue shirt and bedazzled jeans might be the perfect outfit for the family reunion, but why not give your child a few choices that work for you and allow them to make the final decision? You’ll both win.
Encourage effort.
It can be easy to feel overwhelmed when things don’t turn out as planned, especially for a child. Take the attitude that it’s not a big deal and that things often don’t work out. Encourage your child to keep trying and to not be upset.
Give your child chores and ensure that they perform them.
Chores aren’t fun, but there is a sense of accomplishment when they’re completed. Let your child feel successful each day by completing their chores.
Be affectionate with your child.
Affection lets your child know they are important and loved. Tell your child you love them at least once each day.
Avoid comparing your child to other children.
Asking your child why they can’t do as well as little Johnny only destroys their self-confidence.
Compliment those things that are unique to your child.
It might be their height, flaming red hair, or their imagination. Differences can be sources of self-doubt. Make your child’s differences a strength.
Encourage your child to try new activities.
Pursuing a passion is a great way to build self-confidence. The process of making a decision and moving forward with it can boost self-confidence. Your child is also likely to find something they enjoy and excel at.
Think about other ways to boost your child’s self-confidence.
Your child is unique, so the strategies that will raise their self-confidence might be unique, too.
Self-confidence can be challenging to develop for a child. They feel awkward and unsure about the world. Their peers are often unkind, too.
Parents can do a lot to build or to undermine a child’s self-confidence. Help your child to face the world confidently.