Confidence is an important trait which can help a child deal with life’s challenges. Having a secure sense of self will allow them to face any task with optimism so they can thrive in whatever scenario they find themselves in. If you want to know how you can help your child grow to be a self-assured, confident person, take a look at the following advice on Helping Your Child with their Confidence from an independent school in Hertfordshire.
Model Confidence
You are your child’s greatest role model, and they are likely to copy the traits that you display. Show your child that you are enthusiastic when tackling new challenges whilst being open about any worries that you may feel. This shows them that it is normal to feel a little uncertain at times, but it is important to be optimistic and have a go. You should also consider the way that you talk about yourself in front of your child in regard to your appearance or abilities. Negative self-talk is extremely damaging to self-esteem so you should demonstrate speaking about yourself compassionately so that they learn to do the same. If you aren’t feeling confident yourself then follow these 5 steps to finding your lost confidence so you can then help your child to do the same.
Encourage Them
You should encourage your child to try new things and step outside their comfort zone. Children who lack confidence often shy away from new challenges through fear of failure or embarrassment. The more activities a child gets involved with, the more confident they will be in their abilities when trying new things in the future. You should also encourage your child to make some decisions for themselves and explore taking sensible risks. Allowing them to explore measured risk taking and decision making will strengthen their confidence in their own judgement and develop their sense of their own capabilities.
Praise Effort
It is important that your child learns that they won’t always be the best at everything, but this should not discourage them from taking part. Make sure you praise your child for their effort, not just their overall performance. If your child knows they’ll be supported regardless of whether they win or lose, they are more likely to explore new activities, try new things and happily go on school trips. Teaching them that it is ok to fail at some things and celebrating them for trying will make them more resilient as they will learn to bounce back from failure in the future.