5 Ways to Boost Your Child’s Self-Confidence

As parents I think we all want to raise confident children. Sometimes, I personally struggle with self-confidence (it is something I am always working on) and I don’t want any of my children to ever deal with it because it can be aggravating and tiring. I think self-confidence is something most people can achieve with age – for example, the older I get the less I care what people think, but I want my kids to feel confident as they grow and in school and the activities that they participate in. Here are a few ways I like to boost my kids self-confidence:

Speak life into them. Give them encouragement constantly and consistently. Point out everything positive about them. Praise them when they do good things. Fill them up with positive words and affirmation.

Pray for them. Pray with them.

Set them up for success by helping and teaching them how to do things on their own so that they feel confident in their abilities to accomplish something on their own. This is a big one for my son who loves to build, create and “do” things all on his own. When he fails he gets very discouraged, so I help him and then let him do it on his own which gives him a boost of confidence again.

Be an example of a confident person to your kids. Kids watch us and imitate us. In fact, I have noticed annoying habits my husband and I have showing up in our kids sometimes. The other day, my three year old looked at me and said “mom, that hurts my heart.” I died laughing because I say this all the time and it did not sound right coming out of his mouth. It was yet another reminder that our kids watch and listen to us. They mimic our behavior. Set an example of a confident person and they will be confident, too.

Give them some responsibility. I love giving my kids chores to do because they are always so proud of themselves. Give them chores appropriate for their age so that they can accomplish them. Don’t set the bar too high for your little ones. The goal is to give them a sense of responsibility and accomplishment. My son loves to dust my baseboards and help me push the vacuum. My two-year-old enjoys helping me put the laundry in the wash/dryer. Let them do what works for them.

The truth is, parenting is tough and I don’t think even the greatest expert can have it all figured out (I know I certainly don’t), but I hope this gave you a couple of ideas and new perspective on how to build up your children and encourage them! It is so important as parents to be their biggest cheerleaders. I have found through my own experiences, that using words of affirmation is the best way for my kids to feel more confident and secure in themselves.