How to Raise a Confident Child

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Confidence isn’t something children are born with; it’s developed over time through their experiences, and we can do a lot as parents to help boost our child’s self-esteem. Confident children have learnt that they are capable of doing things by themselves and have faith in their abilities. They aren’t afraid to try new things and tackle challenges head-on. Read on for some tips from a primary school in Somerset on how to raise a confident child. 

Encourage responsibility

Delegating household chores to your child will help increase their sense of self-worth as they fulfil the responsibilities they’ve been given and learn that they are capable and trustworthy. This also sends the message that they’re an important part of the family unit and have a dedicated role to play. Knowing that they’re being relied upon and trusted will boost your child’s self-esteem and in turn their confidence levels. 

Don’t rescue

When we see our children struggling with something it’s very hard to resist the urge to jump in and help them; we hate the thought of them experiencing any discomfort. However, if you come to your child’s rescue too quickly, you’ll actually send them the message that you don’t think they’re capable of overcoming challenges themselves. They may internalise this message and avoid tackling obstacles in future due to a lack of confidence in their abilities. Instead, focus on supporting and encouraging them, and letting them know that they’re capable of doing things themselves and overcoming obstacles independently. 

Model confidence

Children learn a lot from how their parents behave in the world, so the best thing you can do to promote confidence is to show it yourself. When faced with a challenge or problem, make sure your child sees you approaching it positively and trying your best to work through it. Remain optimistic in the face of adversity and there’s a good chance your child will adopt the same mindset over time. Seeing you step out of your comfort zone will encourage your child to do the same and teach them that bumps in the road needn’t derail them completely.

Confidence is something children develop over time, and their confidence levels can change at different points in their life. As parents we have an important role to play in boosting our children’s self-esteem and in turn their confidence by supporting and encouraging them to step out of their comfort zone, try new things and tackle challenges with positivity.