Every parent wants their child to be confident, because building that confidence from a young age means their self-esteem, their self-worth, has a foundation on which a strong and competent adult develops.
So the question now becomes, how can parents help their kids to develop that confidence, and become the adults that we hope they will be?
Here are some ideas.
1. Don’t Over-Praise
When we get too much of anything positive, it becomes less special in our eyes, and kids are no different. If you’re constantly praising them, the take away is that praise doesn’t really mean anything, that it’s not worth reaching for. However when used sparsely, praise is a great motivator for improving confidence and self-esteem. Try and reserve your praise for times your child has really worked at something, and deserves it. Not just for when they do something they should be doing.
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2. Let Them Take (Some) Risks
A rise in helicopter parenting of various degrees means that kids are being watched more closely by adults than ever before. As a result, they’re being stopped from taking risks that might lead to mistakes they can learn from. When parents see a child doing something they think might end badly for them, they often step in. But to raise confident kids, you have to let them take some of these risks, even if they end up not working out. They are mistakes they will learn from.
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