Raising a confident child

Self-esteem is the way we view and appreciate ourselves; our strengths, attributes and qualities. It heavily influences a person’s mental health, social happiness and success in life.  It is formed through childhood experiences, the social environment within and outside the family, what others say and personal accomplishments.

Throughout life, children will receive both negative and positive influences that will either build or break their self-esteem. Because it has such a big effect on a person’s life, parents must set the right foundation for a child to have high self esteem and grow into confident adults that know their self worth yet are not arrogant or narcissistic.

Below are some tips for raising a confident child.

Attachment parenting

Babies whose cues for feeding or comforting are responded to promptly and sensitively; and who get an adequate physical contact from their care-givers overtime feel loved. Though your response might not always be prompt, the baby picks out the prevailing pattern. Knowing that you are there for them sets a great foundation for developing high self-esteem even as they grow and learn to deal with frustration in a healthy manner. This is especially important in the first two years.

Catch-up

Missed out on practicing attachment parenting, early? Make an effort to know your child and look at things from his/her perspective. Playing catch-up can build or help repair a child’s self-esteem.

Heal your past and build your self confidence

If you are struggling with issues from your past that could be affecting your confidence and parenting, tackle them. Look at what was done to build or break your self-esteem then pass on what worked and discard the rest.

The child notices your emotions so though you can’t always wear a happy face, note that a child can think your unhappiness is because they did wrong or aren’t good enough.

Be a realistic but positive mirror

A child’s self-esteem is affected by how others perceive her. Ensure you give your children a positive reflection so that they learn to think well of themselves. If their behavior is unpleasant, let them know without making them feel inadequate.

Play together

Let your child know that they are worth your time by playing with them. This helps the child to learn and know you as you also learn about them and builds your relationship. Letting the child initiate the playtime activity keeps their attention longer and tells them that you like what they like. You can add your own twists to the activity as it continues but keep focus on the child.