F
or many of us, our confidence is built over many years. We’ve faced so many hardships and challenges as moms that make us who we are today. Unfortunately, our kids don’t have the benefit of experience on their side. But they do have us. A confident child means they’ll be happier in themselves, better placed to make friends, focus on what makes them happy, and avoid pre-teen tantrums. As a mom of three, I have learned that confidence is something that leads to success all around. So, how do we help them build that confidence?
Here are 5 tips to help build up the confidence of your children.
Appreciate The Effort
When growing up, how we get to our destination is more important than the destination itself. So no matter whether our kids win or lose, applaud them for trying. Trying hard will build their confidence, and if it’s not celebrated, they’ll feel embarrassed and shy away from new experiences.
Encourage Practice
Encourage them the practice things they love - just don’t push them too hard. We want to teach them that Rome wasn’t built in a day. It took time. And we don’t get good at things overnight.
Let Them Problem Solve
It’s tempting to sort problems out for our children. But they’ll never build the ability or confidence to figure it out on their own if we do it for them. Instead, they’ll learn how to do the work themselves. And the valuable lesson is that figuring out little things leads to big accomplishments.
Open The Door
As parents, we have a responsibility to open the door to new experiences for our kids. It allows them to build their confidence when it comes to dealing with the larger world. Exposing them to lots of new things teaches them that they can overcome anything. No matter how scary it may seem at first.
Praise Them
Life is hard. And every single child in the world is going to learn that at some point. And when they do encounter hardships, it’s our job as parents to point out how these experiences make them more resilient. And praise them for how they deal with them.
Parenting is hard but being a kid can be hard too and being a teenager is harder than ever. Have grace and give grace. I have found as a mom of three that when my kids seem insecure, what they need most is my love and attention. Help them discover what they are passionate about and put more energy into that. Confidence will come with more time and a sense of belonging for your child.
Keep up the good work, consistency will help you as a parent and your kids. I believe in you.
Natalie
