Guide To Raising Confident Children

From birth, kids are learning at an amazing speed. They learn new skills daily which enables them to communicate their needs. And along with those new abilities, they also acquire the confidence to use them.

As children get older, this acquired confidence can be as vital as the skill itself. To sustain the current competitive world, kids need to trust their capabilities while, at the same time, knowing that they can handle it if they aren’t successful at a particular task. Healthy self-confidence arises from experience and bouncing forward after a setback.

Here are quick and easy ways you can set kids up to feel confident

1. Be a good confident role model:
As a parent, you are watched by your little one. How you dress, How you communicate, How you talk to others, etc. Even if you’re not quite feeling it! Seeing you tackle new tasks with optimism and lots of preparation sets a good example for your little one. That doesn’t mean you have to pretend to be perfect. Do acknowledge your anxiety, but don’t focus on it – focus on the positive things you are doing to get ready.

2. Accept inaccuracy:
Parents must make their children understand that no one is perfect and that everyone makes mistakes. The important thing here to ponder upon is to learn from them, not dwell on them. Confident people don’t let fear of failure get onto their heads. This is not because they’re sure they won’t ever fail, but because they know how to handle failure and still be ready for the next stride.

3. Motivate them to explore newer activities/toys:
If you see a child not friendly with a toy or an activity it is most likely that the child finds the activity challenging. In such a case, parent involvement is essential. As a parent, you can not only make them feel cozy about the new activity but also make it a pleasurable experience for the little one.
So the next question on your mind would be, How do I get involved? One of the most effective ways to get involved is to play with it yourself. Additionally, you can talk while playing with it and emphasis on the positive takeaways from the activity.

4. Avoid being overprotective:
It is natural as a parent you want to keep away anything and everything that could hurt your little one. But this could lead to an overprotected child which has its set of pros and cons. It’s a known fact that children learn through experience and in that process, not all activities end well. Most children give up easily once they experience a setback. We have to accept that confidence and self-esteem are not about succeeding at everything all the time, they’re about being resilient enough to keep trying, and not be distressed if you’re not able to achieve set goals.

5. Praise and celebrate their efforts:
Not all activities taken up by a child will be perfect to the T. Sometimes you also need to let go of the success rat race and just appreciate their efforts. Additionally, you must celebrate their hard work without bribing with a hug or a pat on their shoulder and a loud cheer. This will not only allow them to understand that efforts towards an activity is important and not always the final outcome matters. They will also want to re-attempt the activity with positivity.  

6. Foster their passions:
There is a fine line between passion and obsession. A passion is an extreme interest to do something whereas, an obsession is something or someone you think about all the time. If you see your child interested in playing with puzzles you must make them available and allow them to explore them even more. The best way to do so is by the parents showing interest and enthusiasm towards the activity. Get directly involved by asking them which puzzle they would like to solve next (keeping their age in mind) and as your child grows fonder slowly invest in puzzles that have a progressive challenge in them.
We recommend you get involved and explore your little one’s passions together for optimal confidence building. This not only will help kids to build their own identity but is also essential in raising confident children.

7. Demonstrate and communicate your love for them:
Be it “acceptance v/s rejection” or “failure v/s success” these are your creations. You must often let them know that whatever the outcome is, you still and will always love them. Show them your love not just by saying some flattery words like “Love you my baby” with a cherry on the cake “a big hug or a cuddle”. It is important to maintain this regime even while your child does something unacceptable. In fact, children desire this warmth and feeling when they do something that has disappointed you. That doesn’t mean you don’t stop them from doing it, you must. Follow it up with a loving gesture and positive words to ensure they still feel accepted. Even a hand on the shoulder or a pat on the back will make them feel warm.

Summing up:

We at Kookaburra, a Learning Center , Play school at Juhu and Lokhandwala believe that the magic of love does wonders for a child’s growth. We nurture a child’s emotions and invest time in experiential learning which tends to last longer with them aiding them to be lifelong learners and confident children.