5 Steps to grow Confidence in Kids
Bullying in schools in this day and age is rife. As parents, whether our child is the victim or the perpetrator, we have every right to be concerned. The common ground for bullying, involving both the victim and perpetrator is the lack of confidence.
Confident kids are less likely to bully others, be bullied, and are more likely to befriend those who are bullied. When a child is confident, and knows their strengths and weaknesses, him/her know and are aware that they can learn from other people, rather than feeling threatened by them. This is why, at Sugar Bay, we believe in placing great emphasis on building children’s confidence.
1. Teach your kids acceptance
Teach your child that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Once he/she establishes this, teach them that just because someone else doesn’t feel the same way they do about a certain situation, this is no reason to feel bad about anything. They need to accept their differences and be proud of it.
2. Practice good manners
Teaching your child good manners will result in them knowing how to act around and treat others with respect. Having good manners will definitely make your child feel good about him/her. Etiquette helps children develop the qualities of a leader.
Start small and work on the simple basics like posture, eye contact, giving people their undivided attention whilst communicating, etcetera. Good manners aren’t a once off lesson, you need to practice good manners every day and while doing so, inform your child that this is how they should treat people.
3. Give credit where it’s due
You are entitled to give your child compliments; however, you do not have to “sugar coat” everything. You need to get specific about their accolades. Instead of saying to your child; “Your grades are good” when you are well aware that they can improve, try a different approach. Say something like: “Well done. I am proud of your achievement; continue working hard and I am positive you will get even higher grades”. This type of approach reinforces the child’s confidence by praising them while motivating him/her to work harder.
4. Reinforce independence
Grooming your kids to be independent is a very important. As much as you want your kids to be aware that they have your support and that your presence is always felt in their lives, teaching them to be independent is one of the key factors to confidence.
When your child is in trouble and you constantly run to the rescue, you are showing your child that you think he or she is not a capable person. Part of building confidence is learning how to cope with all types of situations- independently.
5. Implement social skills
Many children are very confident and comfortable in their own environment. However, outside of home is where most of the “lack of confidence” problems are born. If you do not expose your children to being around other people who are not family, you will never allow them the opportunity to express themselves confidently in public. This will result in a low self-esteem when they are around others. Once your child succeeds at interacting with others at home, you can be rest assured they will do just fine anywhere else.
When you have applied these five principles in your kid's everyday lives, there is no doubt we will have 1 less bully, 1 less being bullied and 1 more friend to someone who has been bullied. Oh, and we forgot to mention…
Confident, courageous, admirable kids!
It’s a win-win situation all round!
Confident kids are less likely to bully others, be bullied, and are more likely to befriend those who are bullied. When a child is confident, and knows their strengths and weaknesses, him/her know and are aware that they can learn from other people, rather than feeling threatened by them. This is why, at Sugar Bay, we believe in placing great emphasis on building children’s confidence.
Here are 5 steps to growing confident kids:
1. Teach your kids acceptance
Teach your child that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Once he/she establishes this, teach them that just because someone else doesn’t feel the same way they do about a certain situation, this is no reason to feel bad about anything. They need to accept their differences and be proud of it.
2. Practice good manners
Teaching your child good manners will result in them knowing how to act around and treat others with respect. Having good manners will definitely make your child feel good about him/her. Etiquette helps children develop the qualities of a leader.
Start small and work on the simple basics like posture, eye contact, giving people their undivided attention whilst communicating, etcetera. Good manners aren’t a once off lesson, you need to practice good manners every day and while doing so, inform your child that this is how they should treat people.
3. Give credit where it’s due
You are entitled to give your child compliments; however, you do not have to “sugar coat” everything. You need to get specific about their accolades. Instead of saying to your child; “Your grades are good” when you are well aware that they can improve, try a different approach. Say something like: “Well done. I am proud of your achievement; continue working hard and I am positive you will get even higher grades”. This type of approach reinforces the child’s confidence by praising them while motivating him/her to work harder.
4. Reinforce independence
Grooming your kids to be independent is a very important. As much as you want your kids to be aware that they have your support and that your presence is always felt in their lives, teaching them to be independent is one of the key factors to confidence.
When your child is in trouble and you constantly run to the rescue, you are showing your child that you think he or she is not a capable person. Part of building confidence is learning how to cope with all types of situations- independently.
5. Implement social skills
Many children are very confident and comfortable in their own environment. However, outside of home is where most of the “lack of confidence” problems are born. If you do not expose your children to being around other people who are not family, you will never allow them the opportunity to express themselves confidently in public. This will result in a low self-esteem when they are around others. Once your child succeeds at interacting with others at home, you can be rest assured they will do just fine anywhere else.
When you have applied these five principles in your kid's everyday lives, there is no doubt we will have 1 less bully, 1 less being bullied and 1 more friend to someone who has been bullied. Oh, and we forgot to mention…
Confident, courageous, admirable kids!
It’s a win-win situation all round!
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I agree that a confident child is a peaceful one. Well said Sugar Bay
ReplyDeleteThank you Makhosazana Dubula. We strive to ensure all our campers leave Sugar Bay confident and peaceful.
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