6 Effective Ways to Raise a Confident Child

Parenting Tips: 6 Habits to raise a confident child

Sarah Khan

29 Sep 2016

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Compliment your child appropriately
Positive encouragement is crucial for a child. However,
if you compliment him too frequently or indiscriminately, your child may have difficulty discerning when his accomplishments are truly praiseworthy, and even start losing interest in your compliments and getting validation from you over time.

Don't praise your child if he's done something he has to do (for instance brushing his teeth or clearing his toys). A simple 'thank you' will suffice. Instead of generic compliments, give him specific, positive feedback: if he's drawn something to show you, point out specific things about the picture you like.
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Nurture optimism in your child
Like adults, children can feel defeated and disappointed at times too. Your child's early years are a critical period to develop an optimistic, problem-solving outlook in life.

Instead of making generic reassurances to "look on the bright side," encourage your child to think about how he/she can do better next time and help her work towards her goals. If your child is disappointed with a grade, explain that everyone learns at their own pace and brainstorm how both of you can work to improve it together. This will help them learn to deal with failure by responding positively and confidently.
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Value your child
Making your child feel appreciated and valued is key, particularly during his or her formative years. During the preschool years, most children start to see themselves as individuals and begin defining themselves using attributes. Encourage your child to also express his feelings, no matter how trivial it may be, and respond positively and reassuringly to him. This will greatly help in building his confidence by reinforcing positive feelings of affirmation and reassurance when he opens up to you.
If you are excessively negative in your treatment and labeling of your child, or if you constantly put pressure on him, it will hamper his ability to harness a positive self-image and affect his confidence in the future.
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Involve your child in responsibilities
It's good to involve or assign children with their own household responsibilities - e.g. helping you with the laundry, or taking out the trash. This makes children feel valued and feel like they're making a difference, which builds their self-esteem and confidence in their abilities and judgement.
Even better, involve your child in assisting you with a project, for instance, reframing the pictures in the house. Through his interactions with you or other adults, he'll get a firsthand understanding of adult responsibilities - an insight that will come in handy when he's faced with it in the future.
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Nurture your child’s interests
Expose your child to a wide variety of activities from young - be it sports, music or art - and encourage them to find something he loves and wants to pursue. Having a passion or a hobby builds a child's self-esteem and makes them more likely to be successful in other areas of their life.
Also get your child to start envisioning his or her future and setting goals for their interests and life, in general. Envisioning themselves pursuing their passions further or accomplishing something fulfilling when they grow older will build confidence in their abilities now.
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Avoid ‘over-protecting’ your child
It's a natural parental instinct to want to prevent your child from hurt, disappointment or mistakes, but intervening in these situations can actually be a disservice to your child.
Children have to learn that it's okay to fail, and that sadness, anxiety and anger are emotions that are normal to experience. Over-protecting your child hinders them from learning to deal with failure and overcome these obstacles on their own.
Do respond positively to your child's failures by letting him know the positive side to it and suggesting ways to improve the situation. Do not criticise your child because he would then associate failure with negative feelings and become fearful of risks.

Worried that you might not be raising a confident child? Here are 6 easy steps and habits you can start practicing with your precious one.

In a world that increasingly seems to reward the confident and the extroverts among us, it can be worrying to wonder if you are grooming your child to becoming a confident individual.

The early childhood stage in particular is a vital period in the development of a child’s confidence. Children start to become self-conscious and aware of their individuality at just 18 months old, and begin absorbing information rapidly and developing a range of skills between the ages of 3 to 4. As such, these are the prime, formative years to cultivate positive, confidence-building habits with your child. The role of the parent during these years cannot be overstated enough – present research in early childhood psychology agree that because a child’s experiences are largely centered within the family during this time, effective parenting plays a vital role in shaping a child’s self-esteem and confidence.

For the moms and moms-to-be out there, here are 6 effective confidence-nurturing tips and habits you can start practicing with your precious little one.

Sarah Khan

Photos: Getty Images

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