There’s nothing quite like seeing your kid tackle a challenge with confidence. Witnessing your child soar with self-esteem can offer you peace of mind that they’ll go on to be confident, secure adults.
But not all kids have confidence from the start. Sometimes, it has to be built from the ground up. Self-esteem issues can be the result of environment, relationships, or attachment issues.
If you worry that your child’s self-esteem issues could be holding them back from being their best, there are things you can do to build it and boost their confidence from a young age.
Let’s take a look at a few strategies you can start putting into practice right away to start the building process. You’ll love seeing your child start to believe in themselves more fully.
Be a Role Model
Believe it or not, your kids are watching how confident you are. You’re their first role model, and it’s important to make sure you have high self-esteem in everything you do. That doesn’t mean you should be arrogant. It also doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be humble.
But let them see you take on challenges and believe in yourself. Being your best self can often be the best way to encourage your child to do the same.
Help Them Set Goals
Sometimes, your child might be timid about certain things because they seem overwhelming. If a task or challenge seems too “big” for them, they can quickly be overcome with negative self-talk.
One way to help them fight back against that is to encourage them to set small goals. Goals are a great option when you need something specific to work toward. Your child will be more focused and more confident doing one thing at a time rather than focusing on the big picture all at once.
Plus, whenever your child accomplishes a small goal, it can help to boost their confidence a bit more — especially when you provide them with praise!
Encourage Their Independence
As a parent or caregiver, it can be hard to “let go” of your child and allow them to start doing things on their own. But, the older they get, the more important it is for you to encourage their independence.
You can’t always do everything for them or make sure they don’t stumble and fail at things. The more independent your child learns how to be, the more their confidence will build. It might be bumpy at first. But, eventually, they will realize just how much they can do on their own. You can guide them along the way, but try to avoid taking over and taking care of everything for them.
Teach Them to Enjoy the Journey
Make sure you aren’t just praising your child when they succeed at something. Rather, praise their efforts. If you see them working hard on something, taking on a new challenge, or overcoming something they’ve struggled with, let them know how proud you are.
This approach can teach your children to appreciate the journey toward something. They’ll know their efforts are worthwhile. They will even see that they can grow and learn from their failures, rather than only measuring their worth by their success stories. That’s a lesson they will take with them into adulthood that will impact their careers, personal lives, and more.
One of the best things you can do as a parent is to keep communicating with your child. You know them better than anyone. You know their strengths and weaknesses, so don’t hesitate to cater some of these strategies to your kid’s personality. You might be surprised by how quickly their confidence starts to grow, and you’ll love seeing them shine in whatever they decide to do.
For more information on how play therapy can help, please do not hesitate to contact Serenity EFTC.