Children with high self-esteem have a more positive attitude toward life, and they are able to accomplish tasks even under stressful conditions. They feel valued and cherished for their accomplishments, which further motivates them to rise to the top.
That is why it’s important to raise a self-confident child instead of someone who is always unsure of his own capabilities and follows someone else’s footsteps.
In this article, we will discuss how to make a child self-confident from an early age so that he develops a strong personality as an adult and is able to face the challenges on his own.
You should start practicing these steps from the time your child is still an infant and needs all your attention. This is known as an approach to parenting called attachment child-rearing, and it must start as soon as you become a parent.
Remember, each and every one of your efforts is going to pay off hugely in the long run. And most of all, it is going to improve your child’s self-esteem and make him a self-assured person as an adult. These characteristics become the basis of a strong personality; one that does not falter or is affected by external stimuli.
How to Make a Child Self-Confident?
Always keep in mind that self-esteem is an acquired characteristic and not an inherited one. The first step in improving your child’s self-confidence would be to leave your own past behind and start life afresh. And this may start the day you cuddle your baby in your arms for the first time.
Here are a few tips to make this journey more fruitful and rewarding for both you and your child.
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Be a Happy Parent.
Children consider their parents to be their role models and try to copy each and every move of theirs. If you always remain sad and unhappy in front of your child, he would get the wrong message.
Self-confidence is directly related to the sense of satisfaction and fulfillment and this is probably the first thing your child needs to feel in order to become self-assured.
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Develop a Healthy Parent-Child Bond.
At an early age, children only have their parents to look up to. If you’re always too preoccupied to listen to their concerns and worries, they would end up holding in their emotions. This is a great blow to the parent-child bond that everyone dreams of.
Listen to your child whenever he has something to say, play games with them in your free time, and do other activities together. Even little things like calling your child by their name can have a great difference in the making of their personality. Don’t overlook the importance of even the smallest things related to parenting.
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Address Gender-Based Challenges.
While gender equality is something you need to focus on when it comes to positive parenting, you also need to address gender roles and stereotypes as demonstrated by the media and society.
Not only does gender inequality negatively affect mental health, but it also ruins the possibility of raising a child who is self-confident. And this goes for both girls and boys.
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Make Your Child Feel Loved.
A child, who feels that he is valued by his parents and others, grows up to be self-assured and self-confident. Spend time together and be affectionate toward your child and praise them when they are able to accomplish something.
Ask them questions and console them to make them feel better if they are having a bad day. If they are excited about something, show that you are also thrilled to see those things.
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Don’t Over-Criticize Your Child.
Constant criticism can prove to be fatal to a child’s personality. It brings on disobedience and destroys a child’s self-esteem. They become rebellious and grow up with feelings of resentment and bitterness in their heart.
It is definitely not healthy to foster such negative emotions, but parents usually have a lot of to do with it because they wouldn’t stop disapproving whatever their child does even if it doesn’t entail anything harmful.
Although it’s possible to recover from an overshadowed childhood when one grows up, some people never manage to let go of those negative feelings and spend a life being unsure of their own potential.
It is therefore upon parents to make sure their child doesn’t grow up in such an environment. They must see to it that he or she gets all the required attention that they need and are praised and celebrated for their achievements.
Disapproval for certain behaviors is fine; in fact, it is sometimes required for better upbringing of children. But consistent censure and criticism often results in violent pushback and destroys a personality.
It has been seen that people lacking in confidence trace back their weakness to a childhood where parents used to discriminate among siblings, criticize all the time, never paid attention to what the child wanted, or never had time to spend with their children.
All these things contribute to destroying a person’s self-esteem and make him or her withdraw in their own shell. They not only lack self-discipline, but also find it impossible to recover from this state of mind as an adult.
It is therefore important to see that your child is self-assured from an early age.
The Final.
Every parent wants to raise a confident, self-assured child who would grow up to have a strong, charismatic personality. While some children are born with leadership skills, and they are naturally self-confident, others need a little attention from their parents to live a healthy, happy, and fruitful life.
How to make a child self-confident involves working on your child’s self-image and making sure he or she gives worth to their strengths and capabilities. If your child lacks self-esteem and is diffident and timid, especially around people, you can help him develop confidence and make sure they think and act positive regardless of the circumstances.
Follow the tips discussed in this post, and you will be able to raise a confident child who is ready to take on life’s challenges and succeed despite the difficulties.
Also read the article: How to Develop Leadership Qualities in a Child?
