To support your child’s self-esteem, fostering happiness and confidence in themselves is key. The way you interact—through tone, gestures, and expressions—shapes their self-image from a young age.
Children develop self-esteem differently. If you’re looking to help your child strengthen their self-confidence, here are practical strategies:
Encourage Skill Development: For young children, learning simple skills like holding a cup or taking steps can spark pride and accomplishment.
As they grow, they can gain confidence from learning to dress, read, or ride a bike. Start by demonstrating and assisting, then allow them to try on their own, making space for mistakes. Ensure challenges are manageable but meaningful, promoting growth. Remind them that effort matters more than perfection.
Praise the Process, Not Just Results: Recognise efforts, improvements, and resilience instead of focusing solely on outcomes or innate traits. Say things like, "I see you worked hard on that," or, "You’re making progress." This helps children value their efforts, set goals, and embrace learning.
Offer Genuine Feedback: Praise that aligns with a child’s effort resonates more than empty compliments. For example, if they had a rough game, you might say, "It wasn’t your best game, but I’m proud you kept going. Tomorrow’s a new chance."
Model Perseverance and Effort: Show your child the importance of dedication in everyday activities like cooking or cleaning. They’ll see the value of effort and begin applying it to their tasks.