Struggling with self-confidence – whether it’s you, your child, or a loved one? Here’s what you can do about it.
Building self-confidence is a journey that strengthens one’s sense of capability through small successes. When working with children, the best approach is to assign manageable tasks and then offer specific praise for both their accomplishment and effort. For instance, if you ask your child to help tie their sibling’s shoelaces, you might say, “What a great job – you managed to tie them and even made a perfect bow!”
Here’s another example: Ask your child to take the dog for a quick 5-minute walk (you can join them). Afterward, you might say, “I’m really impressed with how you handled the leash – did you notice how well Louie listened to you?”
The key is authenticity in your praise. Children learn about themselves through your feedback, so they need to trust what you’re saying. Simply saying “Great job, champion!” for everything won’t help them understand their strengths. If something doesn’t go perfectly, be honest while remaining encouraging. For example, if you’ve asked your child to help prepare dinner and they feel it didn’t turn out well, you might say: “I’m proud of you for trying and putting in the effort. So what if the omelet got a bit burnt? It’s no big deal. We can make another one, and next time you’ll know to flip it a little sooner – I’m sure you’ll get it just right!”
With time, you’ll notice a positive shift in how your children talk about their abilities and themselves 😊
Success to all! ❤️
