Steps you can take to boost your child's confidence

Instilling self-esteem in our children is something we all hope to do. Whether it’s the confidence to make the right choice in the face of pressure, to follow their passions or to be able to be completely themselves, being able to give our children confidence in all they do is one of the most useful lessons we can impart.

Speaking to The Independent, psychologist and parenting book author Carl Pickhardt offered his tips for helping to instil confidence in your children. The ideas in the piece range from small ways you can praise your child, to practices you can try to bring in to teach them a stronger work ethic which should, in turn, lead to more confidence. We share a few of our favourite tips in this article.

Let them figure out problems by themselves

For children of any age, problem-solving and being able to cope under pressure can be a great confidence boost. Problems will always arise, however much we try to avoid them and ensuring your child has the tools they need to handle any situation can make them feel more confident throughout their life.

By letting them figure out smaller problems by themselves early in life, their problem-solving skills will improve and when larger problems do occur, they’ll feel more confident about handling them. The problems don’t have to be major at all, they could be that your child wants to see a family member who has a busy schedule and encouraging them to work out a time or working out what to do when a sibling wants to use something they are currently using.

Teach them what you know how to do

Passing on the knowledge we already have is not only a great way to teach our children but it is also a great way to bond with them. Especially when children start to become teenagers and young adults, passing on skills that may lead to a career can be a great way to help them think about their future and see how the skills you are teaching them make a positive difference in your day-to-day life.

We all have different skills to learn, whether you are a keen artist, an amazing home cook, a mechanic or a faithful runner, even if the skill is something you do as a hobby by passing it on you’re giving them more knowledge and creating a shared activity you can do together.

Don't tell them when you're worried about them

Parents are often their children’s biggest cheerleaders. Whether it’s a drawing on the fridge or the apparently ‘embarrassing’ birthday posts on social media, showing off about our children and their achievements is something we love to do.

One thing that can knock a child’s confidence is feeling as though that has passed and their parents are worried about them and their progress in life. This is why, when talking to children about potential issues it’s important to not show that you are worried about them as, by losing their biggest cheerleader’s faith, they may, in turn, lose their own.

You can see the full list of suggestions taken from the article below.

How to inspire confidence in your child:

1.        Appreciate effort no matter if they win or lose

2.      Encourage practise to build competence

3.      Let them figure out problems by themselves

4.      Let them act their age

5.      Encourage curiosity

6.      Give them new challenges

7.      Avoid creating short cuts or making exceptions for your child

8.      Never criticise their performance

9.      Treat mistakes as building blocks for learning

10.  Open the door to new experiences

11.     Teach them what you know how to do

12.   Don't tell them when you're worried about them

13.   Praise them when they deal with adversity

14.   Offer your help and support, but not too much of it

15.   Applaud their courage to try something new

16.   Celebrate the excitement of learning

17.   Don't allow them to escape reality by spending all their time on the internet

18.   Be authoritative, but not too forceful or strict

Whether it’s feeling as though you don’t have enough time to spend with your children, finding the housework taking up too much of your time or just looking for ways to relieve stress, hiring private household staff could help improve your life.

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