Self-confidence can be a fragile thing to handle, especially with younger kids as they have yet to learn how to cope with everyday stress. Nevertheless, you can do a lot of good just by simply playing games together or by encouraging your kid to have fun. Make sure that you work on improving your relationship with your kid, but not to nurture your child too much, as it could result in lowering their self-esteem.
First Things First
Make sure to spend enough time with your child, and that you play fun games together, as it will boost their confidence and their competitive spirit. Try not to be overprotective to let your kid win all the time as it will spoil them and have them believe that they should always win no matter what. On the other hand, try to promote a healthy dose of competitiveness to ensure that your kid can stand up for itself.
Put Together a Play
Performing in front of people can be devastating for most people, and for children it will be a make it or break it moment. Nonetheless, try to work together on a play they could take part in, not only to overcome confidence issues, but also to try and present something worthy. A shadow puppet theatre is a good way to start, as it will not require a lot of face-to-public performance, and it could help in setting the stage up for more complex plays.
Explain What Confidence Is
Unfortunately, many kids do not understand the difference between confidence and arrogance and will often mix it up. Not only will that get them into trouble but they will rarely manage to deal with tougher situations as they will fail to see what their next move should be. Moreover, try to explain that someone who is confident does not blindly charge into what they believe is best but often think through their next action.
Throw a Party
Being a host for their birthday party will give plenty of reason for your child to be confident and to make lots of new friends. Moreover, it will be a great opportunity to try and mingle with not just known but unknown people as well. On the other hand, try to look through party places for kids as it will play a key role where the party is held. Bear in mind that it will help them build up confidence, especially if it is something they and the peers like.
Motivate your child to solve problems
The sense of achievement empowers the child’s confidence. You can motivate your child to solve riddle games like word games or connect the dots. Starting by the simple ones and gradually evolve the difficulty. This will avoid frustration and build the self-confidence. Make sure to always compliment your kid when she finishes a game.
Let Your Child Make the Call
Kids will look up to their parents, meaning that they will often imitate what is going on. In order to use that and to help them feel empowered, make sure to let them make the call from time to time. This will help nurture the feeling that you value your child’s opinion, and that they have a say in things as well. Nevertheless, do not call them when you need to make mundane and simple choices, include them in more complex ones.
You should not force things onto your kid in order to help their confidence because it could have the opposite effect. Moreover, you need to let your child know that you are there for them no matter what, and that they can count on you for help. Bear in mind that simple games can boost their confidence as well as motivate them to become better. Building self-esteem is a process that will take some time, which is why you should not force it onto your kids, but help them get there on their own.