Confidence is a crucial component of a child’s development, and as someone who struggled with confidence all throughout high school, I know how hard it can be to build and maintain. Not to mention that low confidence has so many effects on academic performance, social interactions, and overall well-being.
As parents, fostering a confident mindset in your child can be one of the most valuable gifts you give them; and this article is going to show you just how to do that.
Here are some practical tips to help you boost your child’s confidence and set them up for success.
Celebrate Efforts, Not Just Achievements
When I was struggling with confidence, one of the best things my parents did was constantly celebrate and recognise my efforts, regardless of the outcome. I was a perfectionist, so my confidence always took a beating when I didn’t achieve something I had set my mind.
Having my parents praise my hard work, dedication, and persistence helped me grow and understand that the journey was just as important as the destination.
Don’t get me wrong, children don’t grow and build confidence overnight. But by remaining consistent with this, you will encourage your child to keep trying, even when things get tough.
Set Realistic and Achievable Goals
Help your child set realistic and achievable goals. Break down larger tasks into smaller, manageable steps so they can experience smaller and more consistent wins, which will ultimately fuel them and increase their confidence levels.
By doing this, you’re also helping to make goal setting less intimidating and when children feel less overwhelmed by tasks, they are more likely to approach things with ease and confidence.
Encourage a Growth Mindset
Teach your child about the growth mindset – the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work. Encourage them to view challenges as opportunities to learn and grow rather than as obstacles.
And the best way to do this is by practicing a growth mindset yourself. Children very often reflect what they see from their parents – If you are letting challenges defeat you or allowing obstacles to ruin your day, then your children are seeing this as normal. They will begin to act in similar ways and approach life with a negative mindset.
Try to practice what you preach and celebrate their progress and resilience in the face of difficulties.
Provide Opportunities for Independence
Completing tasks independently always made me feel confident and proud of my abilities.
Try allowing your child to take on age-appropriate responsibilities and make decisions independently. For younger children, this could be presenting them with a weekly challenge that is fun to solve. For older students, it could be choosing & preparing dinner one night a week.
Allowing opportunities for independence fosters a sense of autonomy and self-efficacy. Start with small tasks and gradually increase their complexity as your child becomes more confident in their abilities.
Be a Positive Role Model
As I mentioned above, children learn A LOT by observing you – their parents. Model confident behaviour by facing your own challenges with a positive attitude and demonstrating resilience. Show them that it’s okay to make mistakes and that learning from them is part of the process.
Children learn from the people around them – Friends, family, teachers, peers. It is important to make sure that you, as their parents, are one of the positive role models in their lives.
Create a Supportive Environment
Create an environment where your child feels safe to express themselves and take risks. Offer unconditional love and support, and be there to provide guidance when needed. Having a supportive home environment can significantly boost a child’s confidence and sense of security.
And this doesn’t mean changing the physical environment of your house. It means showing your children that you and your home are a place where they can ask you questions openly without fear of judgement; a place where they can express their worries and concerns knowing that you are going to listen freely.
Confidence is a tricky skill to master for some children, and knowing how to build and foster confidence is a continuous process that requires patience, encouragement, and support. By celebrating their efforts, setting realistic goals, fostering a growth mindset, providing opportunities for independence, being a positive role model, and creating a supportive environment, you can help your child develop the confidence they need to thrive in all areas of their life.
Remember, a confident child is a happy and successful child … And a happy and successful child, becomes a THRIVING adult later in life.
Our new Life Skills & Emotional Development classes are a great way to support your child and build their confidence. If you are interested in one of our specialist programs, or our parent coaching sessions, reach out to the Thrive team today.
