by Brandy Abalos

 

Confidence is just as important for children as it is for
adults. Kids with confidence understand self-worth and have the skills to handle difficult situations without feeling negative about themselves. They are less likely to act out against the reasonable structure provided by adults and more apt to set and accomplish educational and professional goals as they grow.


Here are some ways that parents can raise confident kids.


Parents Should Model Confidence
The best way to lead a child into confidence is to show them by example. Even if you’re not feeling it, express optimism about yourself. Take on new tasks with enthusiasm. You don’t have to pretend to be perfect, but you can focus on the positives instead of the negatives. If you feel anxious about something, acknowledge the emotion, but don’t focus on it. Instead, reach for success.


Don’t Stress About Mistakes
Mistakes are a natural part of life. Everyone experiences them in their personal and professional lives. It’s best not to dwell on mistakes. Don’t let the fear of failure get in your way. Setbacks
are temporary and should be taken with stride. These are all sentiments that should be shared with children to help them become confident. Parents who don’t stress about small mistakes are more likely to pass on the ability to overcome them to their children.


Encourage Children to Try New Things
Whether it is a new food option or an unknown sport, trying new things can build confidence. A child does not have to be the best or perfect at a new skill in order to feel positive emotions. Simply believing in themselves enough to approach a new idea is enough to encourage kids to tackle difficult situations.


Allow Your Children to Fail
Although we all want to see our children succeed, some amount of failure is necessary to become accustomed to the related emotions. Trial and error are how humans learn new skills and
develop innovative ideas. Small failures can actually spur children to try harder to achieve greatness. Learning how to handle failure gracefully will benefit your child as they become an adult and face the challenges of their future lives. 

Praise Your Children for Perseverance
Children often want to give up after a setback, but they should be encouraged to continue trying and stick out the situation until it resolves. Children need to learn how to accept themselves even if they aren’t the best or don’t succeed every time. What’s important is that they are resilient and keep trying. Confidence will come from continued effort and positive reinforcement.

Help Children Explore Their Interests
Children, like adults, are individuals with unique interests and passions. They should be encouraged to explore hobbies and talents to develop a sense of identity. When they see that they are
accepted for who they are, they will build confidence along the way.

Encourage Children to Set Goals
Children often have loft goals but very little idea of how to achieve them. It’s important to sit down with kids and help them articulate large and small goals as well as make plans on how to reach those goals. This can begin with a list of what they’d like to accomplish. Long-term goals should be broken down into smaller, realistic benchmarks. As they reach each step of a goal, their confidence will soar.

Celebrate Effort Regardless of Outcome
While it’s great to celebrate an accomplishment, it’s just as important to let children know that you’re proud of the effort they have put out to reach that goal. Whether your child meets a specific target or not, you should recognize the hard work they put into the situation. Parents who value their children’s work have kids with enough confidence to continue making those important efforts to learn new things.

Give Children Opportunities to Contribute
A household is like a machine that operates with many parts. Allow children to become a working part of the well-oiled machine. Children should be given age-appropriate jobs, such as cleaning up toys or doing dishes. Even homework and extracurricular activities are part of the tasks that must be accomplished. Your child will feel valued and build confidence as they contribute to home life.

Embrace Reality and Imperfection
Real-life isn’t perfect, no matter what people want to show you on social media and television. Your children may get the idea that their friends’ lives seem perfect compared to theirs. In fact, their friends may even tell them they get unlimited screen time, don’t have to do any chores and paint an otherwise ideal picture of their lives. However, reality is never that perfect. Help your children understand that no one lives such a fantasy. Instead, help them understand that being imperfect is human and actually encouraged so that everyone is unique. This will promote confidence no matter what happens in their lives.

Set Your Child Up for Success
While it’s good for your child to become comfortable with failure, they should also experience plenty of success as they grow up. As they accomplish small challenges, they will gain the confidence to take on bigger and more difficult tasks.

Show Your Child Unconditional Love
Children seek approval and love at all times. They need to know that you will love them the same whether they make a mistake or achieve a grand success. The love of a parent is not conditional
upon the actions of their children, and it’s important that they know that. Parents should reinforce their confidence in their children to encourage self-worth.

Confident Children Are Raised by Confident Adults
The best way you can raise confident children is to share your experiences with them. While many children learn by doing, they also learn by watching and listening. Parents who exhibit confidence in all that they do are more likely to raise children who feel confident as well.