Raising confident children

Boosting your child’s confidence will help them become more competent in this world. You are building the roots of your child’s future. As they grow, they will develop a stronger sense of self-worth, pride and self-respect.

Lay and build a strong foundation for your child, this will usher him or her into a successful and a happy life full of endless possibilities.

Helping your child build self-confidence 

Be a role model 

Children are very good imitators of adult behaviour whether it is good or bad. Children simply learn through copying. Children will mirror your behaviour, if you are abusive they will be abusive, if you are kind and helping they will also be kind and helping.

Love 

Accept your children for who they really are regardless of their strengths, shortcomings and differences in abilities. Tell your children that you love them, kiss them and cuddle with them.

When you correct their mistakes, carefully select your words and show them affection. Love gives the child a feeling of self-worthy, security, and that they are lovable.

Give them the whole you 

Spare some quality time for you and your child. Talk with your children asking them about their day, friends and experiences etc.

Focus on your child, know what they want. Give them undivided attention. Practice active listening. When you talk with them always make it a point to make eye contact.

Set rules 

Give your children reasonable rules that are easy to understand and follow. Let the consequences of not following the rules be clear to your child. 

Make sure the rules are not too harsh. Explain the rules to them that they understand why things are done the way they are.

Let them take healthy risks 

Allow and encourage your child to explore new things. Teaching them something new, making new friends etc. Set programs at freewill giving them options to choose from, let them volunteer on their own.

When your child fails, speak positive things that will encourage them to explore different options, allow them to experiment without your involvement, set back and watch. Do not intervene, let them learn through their own mistakes, let them keep trying and eventually they will learn.

Failure is not final. Provide help if your child needs it. Allow your child to take chances, make their own independent choices and teach them to take responsibility for whatever they do. This will make them to be creative and more confident in handling matters on their own.

Encourage and complement them 

Compliments will help your child acknowledge their feelings. It encourages the child to do best and choose well next time.  

Talk positive and reward their choices with sweet words. Tell them how proud they make you. Complements acknowledges progress in the child, it allows them to believe in themselves. 

When children get support they want to keeping on keeping on, they want to keep doing it.

Avoid and discourage comparisons 

Do not compare your child to anyone. Do not allow your children to compare themselves with other children. Encourage them on their strengths.  

Tell your child that they are special and unique in their own way. Give them specific examples using their strengths so that they get to understand better. Being bad in one area does not mean that they are bad in every area.

Comparisons builds up negativity and self-doubt. You don’t want that for your child. Helping your child see positive things about who they are will make them know that we all have different weaknesses and strengths

Let them help 

Teach your child to help with the little things you do at home, these may include activities like gardening, cleaning and make them decide and have choices too.