How to Build Confidence, Self-Assurance and Self-Esteem in Kids

Confidence is a child’s passport to a lifetime of positive mental health, social happiness and long-term academic & professional progress. In other words self-assurance and self-esteem during childhood can be termed as the foundation for every child to lead a positive life and to get well prepared for the future.

However, in today’s demanding academic structure, it is not easy for a child to maintain a good confidence level, from competing nursery admission to weekly school tests, today’s child goes through numerous examinations, almost every day in his/her life and he/she is being judged both at home and outside. According to child psychologist Shivani Misri Sadhoo, oral communication alone by parents is not enough to build confidence in kids, she shares some important parenting tips that will help parents in this area:

1. Allow your child to make decisions:

When your child gets the chance to make choices from a young age, he/she will build confidence in their own judgement. Just consider the age of your child and set their decision-making parameters accordingly. Like, you may ask your 4 years old son or daughter what he /she would like to have in breakfast, an omelette or fruits or chapattis, instead of asking a broad question like “what you will have in your breakfast”, which they will likely to give you an answer either from their imagination or from their list of yummy foods (generally cake, chocolates or junk food).

2. Avoid always rescuing your child

For parents, the desire to prevent their child from getting hurt, feeling discouraged, feeling upset or making mistakes is natural, but when parents intervene, say if the parents go to their child’s school and pressure the cultural teacher to take their child in dance team (which he/she was not selected) then parents are doing something which is not right.



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