Confident children are raised by nurturing parents. To help your child come out of their shell, there are a number of things that you can do that revolve around their self-belief. For one, you should encourage them to attempt new challenges so that they aren’t so afraid of new prospects when they present themselves and become confident in their own abilities. Here are some more that were shared with us by a senior school in Tooting.
If you are looking to set goals, you should not make the mistake of making it only for academic related things. You can set goals for them for activities they are interested in as well. For example, if your child loves dancing, you can encourage them to take up dance classes and finish some course levels there. This is something that is healthy and will boost the mental and physical faculties of your child in the best possible fashion.
How You Deal with Mistakes
Mistakes are a part of life and are how we grow and develop as people. The way that you deal with them can affect your child’s outlook and whether they grow to be optimistic or pessimistic. Dwelling on them can make your child fearful of the worst in situations and possibly reluctant to try new things. Viewing them as learning opportunities on the other hand and looking at the good to come from them can help children to be braver and more confident. People often refer to this as the “freedom to fail”.
Set Goals
Thinking about the future encourages us to be optimistic, make plans and feel confident as we meet those. As your child does, they will begin to learn about themselves and their strengths which is a great source of confidence.
Show Them Appreciation
Another way to boost your child’s confidence is through praise. As they hear positive things about themselves, they will begin to internalise what they hear and believe so too.
Model It in Your Own Behaviour
As a parent it’s important to be mindful that your behaviour and attitudes can rub off on your child. If you have a very negative way of looking at yourself and dealing with things in life, it can be learned by your child. They will become very self-critical and as a result have little confidence. Instead, you should verbalise how you look at yourself in a kind way and recognise your strengths/things that you’re proud of.