How to Build Self-Confidence in a Child

A writer once said that ‘all we need to succeed in this life is ignorance and some level of confidence.’ This might sound funny, especially the ignorance part, but you have to agree that the latter part of the quote is true. It is a known fact that ignorance is a disease and an ignorant person wouldn’t be successful.

However, you can’t say there is no relationship between self-confidence and success. As a company that deals with schools, we believe that self-confidence is crucial to success – as it makes children take reasonable risks, manage stress, perform under pressure, and be proud of themselves.

This article will provide tips on how to build self-confidence in your child. And it is believed that if you follow them, you will raise a child with a solid foundation for 21st-century skills.

 

Give Positive Feedback

Many parents are quick to reprimand their kids if they do something wrong, but feel it is unnecessary to comment on good things that their children do. This parenting approach isn’t good enough. To build self-confidence in a child, as a parent, you must compliment your kid for the things done right.

You must, however, be specific when trying to praise your child for the things done right. Instead of just saying “good job,” “nice one,” and other short complimentary remarks, be specific on the job that was done in a good way and the one that was nicely done.  Say something like, “Good job on your academic performance. I am extremely happy with your result this term. During the exam period, you spent more time with your book, and that has translated into this good result. Keep it up!”

No doubt, this kind of complimentary remark is long and requires more work on your path; however, it is effective in making kids understand the relationship between effort and results. More important, it makes them confident in their ability to deliver excellently if they put in the work.

 

Teach positive self-talk

There are too many negativities out there – from what we hear in the news to what we see in our immediate environment. Many adults have a way of dealing with these negativities by using positive self-talk. Kids can benefit from positive self-talk too; so teach your child how to use it whenever he or she is feeling anxious. Aside from helping to reduce anxiousness, positive self-talk has health benefits, such as helping to improve body immunity and reduce stress.

 

Discover and nurture your child’s talent

Every child is talented, and as a parent, it is your job to discover and nurture your child’s talent. If you discover that your child loves painting, buy him or her painting materials and ask the child to paint the portrait for each member of the family. He or she would be very happy.

A child that loves working on the computer should be exposed to animation, coding, robotic, and other relevant computer skills at a young age. Your aim should be to observe your child discover his or her talent and provide the support needed to make the best use of the talent. Doing this would make the child feel good about himself or herself and this helps boost self-confidence.

 

Encourage your child to follow his or her passion

Like adults, kids have passions. This passion can be drawing, painting, writing, music – and even technology. As a parent that wants to build self-confidence in his or her child, you must allow him or her to follow this passion and provide the needed support to explore the passion. 

Encourage a growth mindset

A person with this mindset sees failure not as a sign of unintelligence but as a learning opportunity, and the person believes that with consistent efforts he or she will achieve the desired result. Therefore, to build self-confidence in a child, the growth mindset must be encouraged. Make your child see that he or she can overcome any obstacle through hard work and determination and that he or she should always take failures as lessons. If you want the growth mindset to be a part of your child’s lifestyle, ensure you encourage this mindset at home.

 

Show Unconditional Love

When children perform exceptionally in school or make significant progress in life, parents tend to show lots of love; the opposite is true when children fail or make terrible decisions. The parent either spank or yell, but as explained in this article, yelling has negative psychological effects on children.

One of the effects of scolding a child in an appropriate manner can negatively impact the child’s self-esteem. Therefore, to build self-confidence in a child, parents must show unconditional love to their children. When your child succeeds in completing a task or expresses positive behavior, you need to show how much you love him or her. Shower praises on the child – but ensure you do not overdo it.

 

Encourage the Child to take Healthy Risks

There are parents known as “helicopter parents,” they are those that take all responsibilities for their children. These kinds of parents are said to be overprotective, not allowing the children to be independent or take any risk. The result is that, if these parents continue this style until the children become adults, the children wouldn’t be able to decide on their own.

They will also suffer from self-esteem and confidence. So, if you want your child to be confident in himself or herself, give him or her the chance to make choices and be responsible for some action. Your role in your child’s life is to guide and not to control. Allow your child to be independent and take healthy risks.

The above are the tips on how to build self-confidence in a child. Please follow them and watch your child turn out to become a confident person who will never be afraid of pursuing his or her dreams.