25 Ways to Build Your Child's Confidence Starting From Now - Affra Schools

 

A child’s future happiness, health, and success all depend on their level of confidence. Confident children are better equipped to deal with peer pressure, responsibility, frustrations, challenges, and both positive and negative emotions.

And what is the KEY factor in developing a child’s confidence?
YOU! The child’s parents and teachers.
Isn’t there no pressure? Don’t worry; building a child’s confidence need not be difficult or intimidating. Actually, you can make it enjoyable! Start boosting your students’ or children’s self-confidence right away by implementing any one of these 25 effective, research-based methods. Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE 5-Day Self Love Challenge for Kids (ages 5-11). These creative, science-based exercises will help your child train their brain to become more self-loving, confident, and capable of dealing with challenges and setbacks.

1. Ensure they know your love is unconditional

The way we see our kids (or the way our kids believe we see them) has a profound impact on the way they see themselves.
Make it clear to your children (or to your students) that you love and care for them even when they make mistakes or poor decisions, and avoid harshly criticizing or shaming them.

2. Practice positive self-talk with them

Talking to oneself about things like, “I can’t do this,” “I’m terrible at __________,” or “What is wrong with me?” is damaging to both children and adults. Model and teach children positive affirmations using our popular and free Affirmation Bracelets activity.

3. Use their name to address them

Addressing children by name is a powerful and simple way to send the message that they’re important, especially when paired with friendly eye contact.

4. Give them age-appropriate “special tasks” to help you out

In addition to chores and classroom jobs, give children “special tasks” to help them feel useful, responsible, and competent. Using the word “special” gives children an even bigger confidence boost.
In the home, these special tasks can include helping with a pet or younger sibling as needed, being your cooking “assistant,” or, for a very young child, simply dressing himself.
In the classroom, kids can help make classroom decorations, water plants, erase the board, etc.

5. Join their play (and let them lead)

Participating in a child’s play shows that he is important and deserves your time. During playtime, parents can allow children to initiate or choose the activity, as well as lead it. The child feels valued and accomplished when their parents participate in a child-led activity and appear to enjoy it. Teachers of young children can implement this strategy in the classroom as well.

6. Concentrate on boosting your own self-esteem

This isn’t a step you can accomplish overnight, but it’s one of the most essential on this list.
Because parents are often a child’s first and best role models, it’s important to work on your own confidence if it’s necessary. Make a start by being kind to yourself and others in front of your child. Teachers, too, should avoid self-criticism and model confidence in front of their students.

7. Inquire about their point of view or advice

Ask children for their advice or opinions on age-appropriate situations to show that you value them and their ideas.
This also helps children build confidence by demonstrating that even adults need help sometimes, and it’s okay to ask for it.

8. Spend quality time together

Love and acceptance are key components of confidence and self-worth, so parents should spend quality time with their children to demonstrate that they are valuable.
Take him on outings, eat dinner together, play games, go outside, or do any other activity that allows you and your child to enjoy time together.
Teachers can help children feel loved and accepted by getting to know students’ interests or hobbies and making a point of having personalized conversations with each child, like, “How was your soccer game yesterday, Sarah?” or, “I think you might like this book about dinosaurs, Timmy.”

9. Teach them how to set and achieve goals

Children can gain confidence in their abilities by setting and achieving challenging but attainable goals. Help your children or students set and stick to specific goals by following the simple steps in our helpful goal-setting blog post here.

10. Set aside time when you give them undivided attention

Parents, your child recognizes when your mind is on something else or when you’re not giving him your undivided attention.
To help your child feel valued and confident, set aside time to put away the electronics, put thoughts of work or other distractions out of your mind, and truly focus your attention on your child.

Teachers can also take the time to pay attention to their students’ needs and give them their full attention. 11. Encourage them to try a theater class.
Classes in theater are a great way to build confidence. Children feel more capable when they try new things, and theater teaches them to speak with confidence in front of others and step outside of their comfort zone. Parents and teachers alike can encourage kids to try out a theater, and teachers may even be able to incorporate roleplaying or drama games into the classroom.

12. Praise them the right way

Simply showering children with praise isn’t effective, but praising kids the right way can certainly build their self-esteem.
Give children genuine, specific praise that focuses more on effort than on results (like getting straight A’s) or on fixed abilities (like intelligence).
Avoid sweeping compliments like “Good job!” Use examples and words from our free Your Words Matter Kit Volume 2 instead.