Self-esteem is an important ingredient for any child to develop into a confident, happy adult later in life. Even absolute whiz kids can feel self-doubt. Parents are key to nurturing their child’s confidence, so we thought we’d give you some tips to help you along the way.

1. Focus On the Positive

   It’s all too easy to focus upon weaknesses over strengths and unique abilities. We all know there is no such thing as a perfect person yet children can feel they need to live up to this unachievable ideal. As a result your child can begin to believe they can’t get anything right. This belief can lead to a fear of mistakes, as opposed to learning from them.

2. Rewards Build Confidence

   Similarly, if praise is overlooked the moments that build confidence are few and far between. A way to avoid this can be by putting a goal within your child’s reach. The encouragement that follows is one of the best things you can do to inspire your child to believe in themselves. Rewards along the way can be as simple as a sticker or sweet up to a rather shiny trophy.

   

3. Become a Super-Parent

   In the eyes of your child you are superhuman and capable of absolutely anything! Although this is quite an exciting prospect for you, this can set a high bar for your child to live up to. We all have limitations in life and if you try for your child not to see them, they can be left feeling anxious of disappointing you. Therefore you should try opening up about your mistakes and helping them see this as a normal part of life. As a result you’ll become a super-parent! (costume not included)

   

4. Get a Handle of Sibling Rivalry

   As any sibling knows, in big families competition for the attention of parents is fought long and hard. But it doesn’t have to be like this. If you actively try to split your time equally across each child you can avoid someone ending up feeling left out from all the fun.

5.  A Little Responsibility Goes A Long Way 

   Giving children a little more responsibility has the power to open up more opportunities for them to feel as though they have achieved something positive. This set up shows them what they’re capable of and allows them to share their pride with you. Examples of how to this could be as simple as feeding the fish, walking the dog or helping to cook dinner.It may be surprising to hear that children can become depressed. In fact, feelings of self-doubt can be even more stressful than in adults because children lack the tools needed to cope with these complex emotions. However, with your support they can learn to become as confident as their peers!

   It’s not always easy being a parent but the experts at Birmingham Counselling Services have got your back. Get in touch at: https://birminghamcounsellingservices.co.uk/

   Related Articles: How to Build Confidence One Day at a Time

   Edited by Anna Perry