How to Encourage & Promote Confidence in your Child

As parents, we need to make sure we are doing our part to build up our children as they grow. We want them to have a good outlook on themselves and their lives, so they have the confidence to perform well in school and later, in the workforce.

Read on to find out how you can be encouraging and promote confidence in your little one!

Praise your child without overdoing it

Our children need to know we are proud of them. It really helps build their self-esteem when they know mom and dad like something they do. However, going overboard with the praise can actually have a negative effect.

They may get so used to hearing you gush about them, they don’t really strive for anything. Also, constant praise may make it more difficult when they actually receive criticism from someone else, such as a teacher or other family member.

Be specific in your complements

Being direct when you praise your child will help them learn exactly where they excel. This is helpful so that, on the flip side, they know where they need to improve. Knowing the latter isn’t a bad thing either…it’s something children need to know so they can learn how to improve.

Let him make decisions

It is important for a child to learn how to think for himself. Decision-making is a life skill – one that should be fostered in childhood. Allow your kid to make choices to grow his confidence in his own abilities.

Of course, you don’t want to offer an open-ended decision like “what do you want for breakfast?” – as they will likely choose cookies. Instead, give choices, such as milk or juice with breakfast or whether to wear a blue or black shirt to school.

Be optimistic around your child

Try to keep the glass “half full” when your child is dealing with a potentially negative situation. If a friend scores higher on a test, tell your child her grade was still very good and offer to help her study for the next one.

Also, avoid negative self-talk around your young children. If they learn you have a poor outlook on yourself, they may start to find the bad things in their own life.

Let your child pursue their interests

Giving your child the freedom to pursue hobbies and subjects that interest him is a great encouragement booster. Allowing him to participate in what he enjoys will give him more reason to be happy, which can spill over as success in other areas of his life.