3 Ways to Boost Your Child’s Self-Confidence
Children are our world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.—John F. Kennedy
It is no surprise that our children are learning and absorbing everything around them at such a fast speed. From learning how to talk to learning new skills – such as playing the piano, ballet or even roller-skating. As they acquire these new skills, they also acquire the confidence to use them.
A person with a healthy self-confidence accepts himself for who he is. He has a positive outlook on life and can overcome most of life's challenges. On the other hand, a person with low self-confidence tends to focus on his shortcomings and has a negative outlook on life. He may also feel that he has little control over the changes that occur in his life. There is no denying that setbacks and disappointments will cross their paths. How do we then, as their role models, continue to mould and increase their self-confidence?
Here are three quick tips that we can cultivate at home and in our everyday life that will empower your child to become more self-confident.
1. Model having confidence in yourself
Our children look up to us for almost everything. When you put effort into everyday tasks – such as folding clothes, cleaning up and washing the car – you are actually setting a good example. Your child learns to put effort into doing homework, cleaning up toys, or making the bed. Modelling the right attitude counts too. When you do your tasks cheerfully, you teach your child to do the same. When you avoid rushing through chores and take pride in a job well done, you teach your child to do that too. Seeing you tackle new tasks with optimism and lots of preparation sets a good example for your child. That does not mean that you have to pretend to be perfect. Acknowledge your feelings, and focus on the positive things you are doing.
2. Embrace mistakes
We must help our children see that everyone makes mistakes. The important thing is to learn from them, not dwell on them. Confident people don’t let fear of failure get in their way—not because they are sure they will never fail, but because they know how to take setbacks in their stride. It is natural to want to protect your child from making mistakes, but that is how children learn, and falling short on a goal helps them develop resilience. This will serve them well as adults later.
3. Encourage them to always try new things and focus on the process
Instead of focusing all their energy on what they already excel at, it’s good for children to be encouraged to diversify. Attaining new skills makes them feel capable and confident that they can tackle whatever comes their way. Learning not to give up at the first sign of frustration or bail out after one setback is an important life skill. Confidence is not just about succeeding at everything all the time, it is also about being resilient enough to keep trying, and not being distressed if you are not the best. Lastly, praising our children for their accomplishments is great, but it’s also important to let them know you are proud of their efforts regardless of the outcome. Praise them for the process of learning rather than just the end product. It takes hard work to develop new skills, and results are not always immediate. Let them know you value the work they are doing, whether they are toddlers building with blocks or teenagers teaching themselves to play the guitar.
At the end of the day, let your child know that you love him no matter what. Whether it is winning or losing a game, getting good or bad grades – making sure that they know you will always be there with unconditional love will always bolster their self-confidence even when they are not feeling good about themselves just yet!