Apart from taking good care of your child, helping them build their self-esteem is crucial for them growing up healthy, and having a quality life. Today, parents tend to be over-protective, which prevents children from experiencing things independently, making mistakes and learning from them, which is crucial for gaining confidence. Here are some valuable pieces of advice on how to balance your parental care and encourage your child’s independence, in order to help them build their self-esteem.
Bond with your child
Respect your child’s opinion and needs, no matter how difficult it can sometimes be. If your child doesn’t want to do something, listen to their reasons carefully. Your child needs to feel that their opinion matters. Explain the importance of fulfilling their tasks thoroughly and according to the schedule. If your child still disobeys, you need to let them know the consequences of inaction. Also, you need to be honest about your feelings. If you feel sad, angry or frustrated about something, explain to your child why you feel like that. This will encourage your child to open up about their emotions as well. Not only that your bond will be stronger, but this will also teach your child to handle their emotions without restraint, which is vital for their mental health.
Be a good example
Be positive about life. It doesn’t mean that you need to fake a good mood all the time, but to try to stay positive even in challenging life situations. Children observe our behaviour more than we are aware of. So, apart from talking to your child, try to behave the way you want your child to behave. As children are very perceptive, don’t hide anything from them and don’t try to trick them into doing something. If you make a mistake, admit it, say what you have learned from it and move on. This will show your child that it is okay to make mistakes while facing problems. This way, you will help them realise that life is not about not making mistakes, but successfully coping with the consequences.
Let them learn from their mistakes
Sometimes, you need to let your child decide independently and respect their decision. No matter how difficult it sometimes is to observe your child making mistakes and facing the consequences, it is crucial for building their confidence. Meet your child’s mistakes with love, understanding and patience, but don’t exaggerate when it comes to comforting them. Help them draw valuable lessons from the experience and encourage them to move on. It is very important to give honest praise to your child in the process of learning, as it is always better to praise their qualities than to put focus on their flaws. This way, you are helping your child create a positive picture of themselves, which builds up their self-respect.
Let them play
It is very important to create a safe atmosphere for your child to interact with other children. Try to arrange playdates, and organise birthday parties and celebrations with interesting themes and creative toys. If other children have fun playing with your child, it will build up their self-esteem and put them on top of the popular kids list, which is very important for children’s confidence. Also, taking your child to a creative, educational and fun playgroup can be quite valuable for developing their social skills, as well as their language, cognitive and motor skills development. The playgroup program offers your child a safe environment for socialising and learning with children of the same age.
Help them pursue their interests
It is very important to pay attention to your child’s abilities and interests. You are the only person who can help them discover their talents early in life, which can make their lives much easier later. So, if your child is very active and athletic, sign them up for a sports activity of their interest. If you notice that they like music, take them to dance lessons, or help them choose an instrument to play. The easiest way for children to build confidence is by doing things they are good at and being praised and rewarded for that.
Helping your child build their confidence today means securing a better life for them tomorrow. No matter how challenging it can be, by encouraging your child’s independence, you are raising a healthy individual, and this world needs more of them.
About the author:
Tracey Clayton is a working mom of three girls. She’s passionate about fashion, home décor and healthy living. Her motto is: “Live the life you love, love the life you live.”