A child needs to be molded into a modest adult who can handle both the good and bad situations they face. One important thing to instill in your child is self-esteem. This refers to their sense of self-worth and personal value. Self-esteem makes your child feel that they are good enough and they believe in themselves. They know that they are capable of achieving whatever they set their mind to. Here are some ways to improve your child’s confidence and esteem.
Love then Unconditionally
Love your kids unconditionally. They should know that you love them at all times including the times when they fail at some activities. This way, they will learn to do the same. A child who loves himself or herself at all times is confident in what they do. Let your child know that you love them from the words you say and how you treat them.
Your child should learn that love does not need to be earned, it is given unconditionally. Even when they make mistakes, tell them that you love them while encouraging them to do better next time. It is this foundation of love that your kids will use to build their future relationships including that which they will foster within themselves. Show them that they deserve to be loved in spite of their flaws.
Play and Have Fun Together
Self-esteem is about appreciating and loving yourself while believing that you are highly capable. To let your kids know that they are great to be around, play and have fun with them. Run around, laugh out loud and try cool kids games. Generally, encourage them to be your friend. Kids love playing because it makes them happy. Playing with them makes them know that you value them and want them to be happy.
Encourage Independence
You cannot always be there with your child. They need to learn how to be independent and do things on their own. Start teaching them how to be independent at an early age. Simple things like learning how to feed themselves is a great start. Later, they will need to learn how to bathe themselves and so on. Allow them to express themselves freely and make decisions about what to do. With independence comes a sense of responsibility. They know that they need to make choices and face the consequences of their choices. This is a very important element of self-esteem.
Praise and Reward
Too much praise may cause a child to be overconfident but if only given in moderation, praise is an important tool. It makes your child know that their efforts are appreciated. By knowing that you feel good when they do well, they will aim at making you happy and hence improve on how they do things.
When praising, focus on a specific thing. Do not give general praise like ‘great playing with your friends today.’ Be more specific with praises like, ‘You did well sharing your toy with your friend’ or ‘I am proud of you for scoring the goal in your soccer game. By giving specific praise, the kids know exactly what it is that they did that deserved the praise.
Occasional rewards are good additions to praises. When your child does an outstanding thing, reward him or her with a gift they will love. This could be a toy, book or custom trophies to name but a few options. The latter is a great option because these trophies may be customized to suit the recipient’s preferences and expectations.
Encourage Kids to Pursue their Interests
What is the one thing your kid cannot stop doing or watching others do? This could be something they are really interested in. You need to encourage them to pursue this interest. It will make them know that what they want really matters.
For kids, doing things to completion is something they struggle with. Encourage them from the very start and be with them to the very end. Even when they get side-tracked, remind them of the interest and encourage them to keep going. Provide everything they need to accomplish the tasks. Be your child’s number one cheerleader.
As kids pursue their interests, they are bound to make mistakes and have some setbacks. These events should be taken as a teaching moment. Do not be harsh but rather explain to your kid how they can do better next time.
Bottom Line
You can easily help your kids improve their self-esteem. Encourage them to be independent, spend time with them and love them unconditionally. Do this repeatedly and you will see an increase in confidence levels.
