How to Build Self Confidence in Kids: Raise Children Who’re Confident: Mindsetmax

How to Build Self-Confidence in Kids: Raising Children with Good Self-Esteem

How to build self-confidence in kids is a question every parent faces and looks for the answer to.

Here are 4 key steps to take to instill healthy self-esteem in kids and build their confidence in themselves.

How to Build Self Confidence in Kids:

Let Kids Take Risks and Try Again

As loving parents, we often become over protective of our kids and try to shield them from the harshness that the world outside may have. However, while this may seem right in our eyes, it actually ends up doing more harm.

While you definitely must protect your children from real, physical danger, preventing them from trying new things because you think they may get hurt or worse, fail, does more harm to their self-esteem than anything else.

Encourage kids to take risks, try new things, make their own choices and when they fail, view it as a chance to tweak the process and try again.

Praise but Not Over Praise

Praise is great but praising all the time or overdoing it can actually lead to kids placing too much importance on the result rather than the process. Focus on the learning, praise the effort they made, acknowledge the work they put in.

Also, praising them all the time sends the message that they don’t need to push themselves harder.

Encourage Them to Set Goals and Make Choices

While we definitely want our kids to achieve goals, make the right choices and do well in life, by preventing them from taking chances, making their own decisions or setting goals, we’re actually hampering their belief in themselves.

Instead, take a step back and encourage them to make their own choices {again as long as it doesn’t physically harm them or put them in real danger} and take “healthy risks”

Give them a chance to explore, try new things, develop a sense of accomplishment and deal with failure as well.

Help them Enjoy the Process More than the Result

Yes, kids will fail, lose and not get what they want. All of these are essential in helping them develop a growth mindset, view failure as a chance to change the way they do things and try harder.

Acknowledge the effort they put into getting a grade or result rather than praise the result itself. Denying failure or defeat can do more damage than good to a child’s self-esteem. So, use the struggle as a stepping stone and let your kids know that your love for them doesn’t hinge on the grade they get.

Additional Reading:

Growth Mindset Books for Kids

Growth Mindset Quotes for Kids

5 Growth Mindset Related Things to Teach Kids When They’re Not In School