Our kids are the most precious things in our eyes, so when they say things like “I can’t do it” or “I’m not good enough” it can really hurt.
While we all lack confidence now and then, it’s important to monitor and build your child’s self-image so they have the confidence and drive to go out and grow into their best selves.
Confidence is a key element when it comes to kids trying new things and learning new skills, which is vital for a child’s development- the more confident they are the more things they’ll learn, which goes on to build further confidence.
How can I boost my child’s confidence?
There are many different things you can do to give your child’s confidence a boost.
Understand your child’s needs
No one knows your child better than you, so when it comes to building up their confidence, think about areas they might need a bit of help with.
For example, your child might be outstanding at maths but struggles when it comes to sport. Alternatively, they could be confident with their writing skills but not so comfortable talking about their feelings.
Once you identify where they could do with a bit of a boost, you can start with the next step.
Set goals
No matter what area your child lacks confidence in, there is a way to improve it, and one of the best ways to do this is to help them set goals with manageable milestones to hit along the way.
For example, they might want to improve their reading by finishing a chapter book by the end of the month.
Set a few milestones on the way to their main goal that are measurable, clear and related to their end goal. For example, “read three chapters by the end of the week” is something kids can manage and work towards.
To do this, you could use Spacetalk's Awards feature which lets kids work towards a goal by earning stars to help them track their progress. They can see at a glance how many stars they have and what else they need to do to reach their goal.
Ticking off their milestones as they hit them and reach their final goal is a fantastic way to boost their confidence and help them improve in an area they weren’t so confident in before.
Be a role model
Kids often imitate what they see, so showing them what confidence can look like in practice is a great way to give them a boost.
Trying not to talk badly about yourself in front of your child, sharing your successes, giving things a go and not downplaying your achievements are good places to start when mirroring confidence behaviours for kids.
Not only this, it’s a great way to work on building your own confidence in the process.
Accept that it won’t always be easy
Part of building confidence is helping kids understand that not everything will go their way.
When kids are going out and trying new things, there will inevitably be times where they don’t get the part in their school play or don’t make the basketball team.
As much as disappointment hurts, what matters is how they bounce back from a setback. This helps kids build resilience and makes it easier to overcome setbacks in the future, giving them the confidence to keep trying new things.
Changes won’t happen overnight, but taking small steps consistently can help kids move into a more confident way of thinking, so they have the drive and desire to try new things, learn new skills and grow into the person they want to be.