Confidence is essential to your child’s success, health, and overall happiness. Confident children are better equipped to deal with challenges, responsibility, frustrations, positive and negative emotions, and peer pressure, even in school. As a parent, you are one of the keys to helping your child develop confidence. Luckily, building your child’s confidence at school does not have to be a complicated or intimidating task. Here are some tips to help you help your child feel more confident at school.
Celebrate Their Effort
It’s important to praise your child for their achievements, but it’s equally crucial to let them know you’re delighted with their efforts regardless of the outcome. It takes time and effort to learn new skills, and the rewards aren’t always immediate. Let your child know you appreciate their efforts, whether constructing with toy blocks, learning to play the guitar, or acing an exam in pre-calculus.
Embrace Their Imperfection
As adults, we understand that the idea of a perfect life is a far cry from reality, and it is essential that your child understands this as early as possible. Help your child know that the concept that some people are constantly happy, successful, and flawlessly dressed, whether on TV, in a magazine, or on a friend’s social media feed, is damaging. Tell them instead that being less-than-perfect is natural and normal.
Set Them up for Success
Challenges are suitable for kids, but they should also have opportunities to find success. Help your child get involved with activities that make them comfortable and confident. The feelings of confidence can help them feel ready to tackle a bigger challenge.
Model Confidence
Even if you aren’t feeling it, model confidence for your children. Seeing you approach new things for the first time with enthusiasm and care makes an ideal model for children. That doesn’t mean you have to behave perfectly. Recognize your fear, but don’t dwell on it; instead, concentrate on the positive things you’re doing to get yourself ready.
Don’t Get Mad About Mistakes
Help your child understand that everyone makes mistakes, and the most important thing is to learn from those mistakes rather than let them hold them back. The truth is that confident people don’t allow fear of failure to hold them back — not because they’re convinced they’ll never fail, but because they know how to deal with failures.
Encourage and Praise Perseverance
Learning to persevere in the face of adversity and not give up after a setback is a crucial life skill. Confidence and self-esteem aren’t about being the best at everything all the time; confidence is being tenacious enough to keep trying and not becoming discouraged even if you’re not up to the task.
Helping your child become confident at school can feel challenging. Luckily, there are many ways you can assist your child in this process. Remember to celebrate their efforts and embrace their imperfections. Model confidence yourself and remind them that it is okay to make mistakes. Your child’s confidence will help them grow into healthy, well-adjusted adults. If your child is struggling with confidence and mental health, The Guest House is here to help. We can refer you to treatment options best suited for your child. To learn more, call us today at (855) 483-7800.