It’s important for young people to have confidence in their abilities in order to succeed both academically and on a personal level. Without self-assurance, they will find it difficult to build healthy relationships, contribute in lessons and they might suffer with anxiety when it comes to things like homework and exams. Parents can help their children become more confident, with the following tips from a co-educational school in Somerset.
*Disclaimer – This is a collaborative post*
Regardless of your child’s age, it’s important to let them take the reigns from time to time and make their own decisions so that they don’t have to rely on you all the time. Let them take some risks and solve their own problems so that they can feel a sense of accomplishment and pride. They will never become confident in their own abilities if they only know how to take orders.
Chat to them about their goals and aspirations, even if they’re only small, so that they always have something to work hard for. Set them some achievable tasks to focus on, like setting the table or taking the dog for a walk, so that they can experience the triumph of completing something successfully. As they grow up, these tasks can become a little harder but be careful not to set them up for failure as this will only damage their confidence rather than build it up.
Be sure to praise your child when they achieve something, but make sure it’s sincere. If you praise them all the time when they haven’t really earnt it, it will lose its meaning. However, if they truly deserve it, telling them how proud you are and how well they’ve done will give them the confidence to try again in the future.
One of the most important things you can do for your child, which will come naturally anyway, is to let them know that you love them unconditionally. With that said, don’t be hard too hard on them if they don’t get the grade they wanted or they fail at something. Let them know that you love them anyway and that failure is just a normal part of life, the important thing is to always try their best. Knowing that they have your support to fall back on will give them the confidence to try new things.
Laura x