How to teach your child self-confidence

Teach the child self-confidence

The child's self-confidence enhances his ability to face new challenges without any fear or anxiety, as this confidence stems from the child's awareness and awareness of the abilities he possesses, and it is the responsibility of parents to develop children's self-confidence to enable them to accomplish the tasks and achieve the goals they seek to achieve, and this is done through Follow several simple strategies that can be summarized as follows:

• Make time to play with children: The time that parents spend with their children enhances their value in the eyes of parents, in addition to the fact that playing with them helps bring them closer together by sharing games with full concentration and enjoyment, and the great role of play in learning cannot be overlooked.
• Assigning children to simple tasks: This method helps give children an opportunity to exploit the skills they possess, in addition to making them feel a sense of accomplishment and how important and useful they are. Among the most prominent tasks that can be assigned to them are the household chores represented in: sweeping, arranging toys, folding laundry, wiping dust, and washing the car.
• Giving children full attention: This enhances the child’s feeling of satisfaction with himself, in addition to his feeling of his value and importance to the parents. This is done by following several practices, including: making eye contact with him, listening to him when he expresses his thoughts, feelings and opinions, helping him accept himself, and sharing some special feelings to give him confidence. .
• Child encouragement: Encouraging a child for his effort, even without completing a task, enhances his feeling of self-satisfaction and motivates him towards progress, and points out the importance of not exaggerating praise and adulation.
• Avoid imposing control: This is done by helping the child to develop his skills, which makes him feel supported by his parents, and pushes him to achieve that builds his self-confidence, away from any practices that would impose control and coercion on the child.
• Supporting achievement without requiring perfection: This develops the child’s self-confidence and encourages him to practice that improves his skills, without constant interference that may reduce his confidence in his skills and in himself.
• Developing parents' self-confidence: Dr. Jeff Nalin, a professor of clinical psychology, advises developing parents’ self-confidence, as parents are considered the first role model for their children. Therefore, parents’ self-confidence is a prelude to their children’s self-confidence as well, through awareness in dealing with their own problems, in facing faults and disappointments, and the extent of full self-acceptance, while providing praise and full support for the self.
• Acceptance and praise within limits: It is necessary for parents to take into account realism in reactions to children’s actions and competencies, including praise, compliments, and other positive responses, to enhance children’s self-confidence, and this is what Dr. Jeff Nalin advised, in addition to the fact that continuous, unjustified praise may push them away. To exceed the limits, writer Jim Taylor points out that excessive praise for children leads to a decrease in the quality of their performance and also discourages them from continuous learning.
• Avoid quick intervention: The child needs training and practice to learn the skill of facing and overcoming obstacles, and therefore providing assistance early may hinder his ability to acquire the skill of appropriate behavior to solve problems, as Dr. Jeff Nalin advises to be patient in providing assistance and wait for the child to try to solve his problems on his own. Which pushes him towards conscious thinking and self-discovery.
• Avoid criticizing children: Parents should guide and guide their children by providing the necessary suggestions and support without criticizing them. Doctor Karl Beckhardt emphasizes this by saying: “Parents’ criticism of their children often reduces their self-esteem and their own motivations.”

Teaching children of early years self-confidence

The process of teaching children self-confidence begins from the first years of their lives, as their self-confidence is accompanied by a feeling of security that pushes them towards developing their self-confidence, in addition to their ability to discover and have freedom in learning. This is because they are sure that they have a safe base of self-confidence to resort to when needed. Self-confidence also helps facilitate their involvement in group situations, such as school stage and beyond, with ease. One of the best methods of teaching a child self-confidence in the early stages of his life is the following:

• Enhancing the child's sense of security: This is done by responding to his crying and any other requirements, which makes him feel love and affection, strengthens the bond between him and the mother, and makes him feel safe.
• Helping the child to be satisfied with himself and believe in his abilities: This is done by responding to his needs, showering him with love and affection, and making him feel appreciated, as the child believes in his abilities when he succeeds in completing a task, and notices a positive reaction from the parents. Such as repeating phrases such as: You are good, I enjoy your company, etc.
• Helping the child solve problems: This is done by providing the necessary support to complete a task, whether physical or emotional, instead of completing it for him, and then sharing his joy when he succeeds.
• Creating a good model and role model: The child learns from the parents how to react to different situations, especially in new situations, such as entering a new place or meeting a new person, as children watch the parents’ reaction to feel safe about that, and the parents’ calmness also helps in facing a problem and persevering and not giving up. To show children the best way and behavior to deal with the challenges they face.
• Create a routine: Preparing a specific routine and adhering to it helps the child feel safe, confident, and in control, such as telling a story after bathing, which is followed by bedtime, as the daily sequence of events helps him understand the next step and apply it without any worry.
• Exercise the child repeatedly: Especially to master a new skill, which prompts the child to feel safe and confident when mastering it, as it is necessary to be patient and help the child calmly, which later pushes him towards learning new skills and exploring other skills.

Things to avoid when teaching a child self-confidence

There are some practices and words that should be avoided during the process of instilling a child’s self-confidence, including not exaggerating in firmness and discipline, and being moderate in helping the child behave correctly, in addition to not exaggerating in self-criticism, which may push the child to adopt a method of self-flagellation and weaken his self-confidence. The child should not be protected from all disappointments; Because it teaches the child flexibility in facing life situations, in addition to the above, it is necessary to stay away from completing the child’s tasks, and to prevent him from making mistakes, to avoid pushing him towards dependency and dependence on others, and to teach him to discover the things that he is good at and excels at.