Video Transcription

We're back with 5 ways to boost your child's confidence. We can probably all think of a time when we felt either self-conscious or maybe a little down. Our kids experience this as well. As adults there are things we can do to help boost a child’s confidence and improve self-esteem.

  1. Keep having those conversations we’ve talked about before. Have all family members identify something positive they did during the day, or something they’re proud of. Regular practice of shifting our minds to what we’ve done well will absolutely build confidence.
  2. Praise your child’s effort, not just the end result. Let’s face it, not everything turns out exactly how we plan. Whether it’s a sporting event or a project at school, praise your child for things like working really hard and not giving up, regardless of the outcome.
  3. Help them find something they’re good at. This can be a huge confidence booster for any of us when we find a skill we can master. Explore your child’s interests, such as sports, art, music or anything else, then look into opportunities for them to do more of it.
  4. Let them make their own choices when possible. Kids and teens have many of their decisions made for them. Find appropriate opportunities where choice can be given. Allow them to learn from their own decisions and build their confidence around that skill. Decision-making is an extremely important tool as someone moves closer to adulthood.
  5. Change negative self-talk. This goes for the adults too. Model positive self-talk about your children ad refrain from pointing out things you don’t like about yourself. If we want our kids to be confident and have good self-esteem, we have to demonstrate what that looks like.