Raising confident children is something every parent should prioritize. There’s lots of ways to build up your kiddies’ self-esteem without inflating their egos. Let’s review a few of the very best tips for raising confident little ‘uns to help ensure your kids appreciate themselves and know what they’re good at:
Ask What They Love About Themselves
Ask your children what they really like and love about themselves, as well as what others love about them. This is an excellent way to help them realize why they’re special and what their talents are. Go a step further if desired by printing out “Words To Describe Me” or similar pages off of parent-centric websites and affixing them to mirrors in your kids’ rooms. You’ll naturally want to fill them out with your children first before posting them as daily reminders of why they’re awesome.
Have Them Put The Work In
Make sure your children learn the value of hard work starting from a young age. Completing a task, whether it be raking leaves in the backyard, making the bed every day, studying hard for a test, etc. is an excellent way to instill confidence in your spawn. It’s okay if you have to help with some things, but remember to emphasize what your children were able to accomplish and why it rocks. Chore charts are often helpful in this regard.
Let Them Figure It Out
Allow your children to figure something challenging out rather than immediately coming to their rescue. Doing the latter teaches them they can’t do anything on their own and always need help…not the way to raise confident kiddies. This doesn’t mean you can’t help a little, but let them take the wheel and do the work necessary to figuring out their issue, whatever it is. Stress that there’s a viable solution to every problem and watch their confidence levels grow once said problem is solved.
Don’t Let Them “Bottle It Up”
Don’t tell your child to stop crying. All you’re doing is sending the message that they must bottle their emotions up. Crying is like laughing or any other emotion…so don’t teach your kids that crying is “weak” or anything like that! To do so is to injure their self-esteem. Emotions are part of life, and there’s nothing wrong with expressing them.
Another confidence-building tip? Never say never!
Enjoy raising children who will go out into the world with their heads up!