This is a collab post: Confidence isn’t something that we’re born with and it’s not necessarily taught either. It’s acquired overtime as we become self-assured in ourselves and our abilities. It’s something that we can’t really go through life without either as we need it to interact with others, challenge ourselves and reach new heights. Much of this will come from you, their parents, by making them feel stable and providing encouragement. If you would like to learn about how to help your child build confidence, keep reading.
This post was put together with the help of a few private schools in Harrow.
Take Things at Their Pace
It can take time for children to develop confidence and that’s okay. What you should do is be patient and avoid forcing your child into situations where they feel uncomfortable and not yet ready. For example, they may be an amazing singer or dancer but just lack the confidence to perform in front of others. Even things that we consider simple like socialising can seem challenging to those who are shy. You can start by slowly edging them out of their comfort zone and working on ways to help them feel safe and secure as this will gradually help them to see that it’s okay and that they are capable of dealing with their nerves.
Praise and Encouragement
Praise and encouragement are crucial for building a child’s confidence as it helps them to feel good about themselves and gives them the courage to learn new things. Likewise, the words that you use are easily picked up so if you’re always critical of your child and put them down, it can have harmful effects on their confidence and self-esteem.
Demonstrate Confidence
You may not be the loudest or bravest but showing confidence by pushing yourself to do the things that you wouldn’t necessarily can help your child to take suit. Try putting yourself out there, talk to people and attempt new challenges. It’s okay to even let them know that you’re nervous. Nerves are natural and everyone has them. They won’t feel as though there’s something wrong with them when they feel anxious. It can be a source of comfort and they will feel that they’re not alone in feeling that way.
Optimism
There are many more contributing factors when it comes to confidence, for example there’s how we choose to look at things. If they have a glass half full kind of attitude, they will be more inclined to see the positive in trying something new as opposed to being afraid of negatives and holding themselves back. As we’ve said before, you really have a role in shaping your child and the attitudes that they adopt.
It’s okay to be a little pessimistic and have doubts, granted that they are valid, but if you’re always overly cautious it can raise your child to think in the same way. Without blindly making decisions of course, try looking at what there is to gain and for the silver linings when things go wrong.
If you found this post helpful and would like to see more content like this, keep an eye on our blog as we have a range of parenting resources that we’re working on.