Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all children were born with confidence and compassion? But they all come with their own little personalities and quirks, as well as their circumstances that can all have an effect on their confidence levels. The thing is, though, being confident doesn’t have to mean they are the loudest or the most talkative in the room. What we want is to foster and nurture confidence in our children but for them to have confidence in themselves. But as parents, what are the things that we can do to help our children grow into confident individuals? Here are some ideas. What will work for you and your children.
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Give Praise
Of course, we all want to give praise to our children. But when it is done too often it can become too insincere. So giving praise when it is due is really important. Be realistic with the praise that you give. It might be that the outcome for something that they wanted doesn’t work out, but you can give praise for the effort that they put in or the things that did go right. Reassurance that it is OK to not be able to do everything 100% perfectly is important too. It can help them to set them up for their life in the future and to manage expectations.
Teach Resilience
When our children learn to experience setbacks, failures, and pain, then as hard as it can be at the time, it can be for their benefit. Let them feel disappointed and don’t just tell them to cheer up or get over it. This will help to teach them resilience. Think about putting them in situations that can help them to learn this too. It could be team sports, martial arts, craft classes or learning a musical instrument. It can help them to grow as a well-rounded individual, as well as teaching the, valuable skills for their life and their confidence.
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Be Consistent
Children thrive on a routine and consistency. So when you are going to set rules at home, you need to be consistent. It can go for all aspects of life too. Be consistent with bedtimes and certain routines at home. But follow through with what you say, and be consistent in that way too.
Support Their Passions
All children will find something that they love and really enjoy. From gymnastics to Star Wars, there can be plenty of things that our children can enjoy. Support their interest and encourage it. Don’t try to get hem to like other things, perhaps the things that you prefer instead. As long as things don’t interfere with schoolwork, then it is important to embrace and support the things that they are passionate about.
Love Your Child
As crazy as it sounds, you need to love your children! But it is the most important thing that you can do. Our children need to feel loved, and accepted to grow in confidence and happiness. Providing unconditional love provides an amazing base for fostering confidence.
When I was raising my two children, I always questioned whether or not I was doing the right things for their confidence- turns out, love, patience and support were all they needed! Such a good reminder, not just for helping children, but also for helping ourselves when we become uncertain in our own abilities!