Ways to raise a confident child

Confidence is in born but it can also be acquired. Confident children freely express themselves at any time with anyone without fear. Sometimes a child’s confidence dies due to lack of support from parents and people around them.

Sometimes confidence can be mistaken for being stubborn. Because of this, children are not given the platform to express themselves.

Margaret Tumusiime, a counsellor, says it is better to guide children in order for them to boost their confidence.

Let them be open- minded
Emmanuel Kakuba, a father of two, says a parent should allow the child to learn and gain more knowledge since he or she will not be limited to certain aspects of life. You should let children explore the world and find their place.

“A person with an open mind always differentiates right from wrong and that is positive confidence,” he says.

Give the child responsibilities
Kakuba further notes that giving your child responsibilities will make them more confident since they will grow up with that trait of handling certain issues on their own. To him, this will nurture your child’s independence and confidence.

Appreciate their work
Richard Kainerugaba, a father of four, says appreciating your child’s efforts, however small they may be, encourages them to keep going, become innovative and creative to do more and be appreciated.

“This in the long run will build a strong character in the child that will enable them do things with accuracy and confidence.”

Nurture his special interests
Try to expose your child to a wide variety of activities, and encourage him when he finds something he loves. Children who have a passion such as cooking - feel proud of their expertise and are more likely to be successful in other areas of their life.

Quirky hobbies may be particularly helpful for children who have a hard time fitting in at school - and you can also help your child take advantage of his interest to connect with other children.

For example, if your son likes to draw but most of the boys in his class are into sports, encourage him to do sports drawings. Or he could put together a book of his artwork and show it to the class.

Give them freedom
Kakuba adds that keeping a close eye on them will make them feel intimidated or nervous and for this they will forever stay on tension and may never decide for themselves in future. To him, the children should not be over supervised but rather guided on how to do things.

“In case they do something the wrong way, do not shout at them, just talk to them calmly and show them how better they can do that next time,” he adds.

Teach them about winning and losing
Evelyn Aganyira, a teacher, believes children should be taught that in life there is winning and losing so that they do not get discouraged in case they experience failure.

“Let them know that even the best and the confident can lose or fail, because if you do not, they will live in self-blame, which hurts their ego,” she adds.

Let them face their problems
For Gorreti Betty Mbabazi, a mother of five, never create short cuts for children. In case of any problems. Let them face it and they will learn how to solve certain issues on their own.

“For example if they engage in a fight with their friends, do not interfere but just guide him/her on how to solve it,” says Mbabazi.

This to her will make the child strong and capable of solving whichever problem comes his/her way.

Focus on the glass half full
If your child tends to feel defeated by disappointments, help her be more optimistic. Instead of offering glib reassurances to “look on the bright side,” encourage her to think about specific ways to improve a situation and bring her closer to her goals, says Karen Reivich, PhD, coauthor of The Optimistic Child. If she is behind her classmates in reading, explain that everyone learns at her own pace, and offer to spend extra time reading with her.

If she is crushed because she did not get the lead role in a play, do not say, “Well, I think you are a star.” Instead, say, “I can see how disappointed you are. Let’s come up with a plan for how you can increase the chances of getting the part you want next time.”

Elizabeth Kolbert, an author says, “The exhausting cycle of constantly monitoring their work and performance...makes children feel less competent and confident.”

The right time
It is important for children to get practice doing stuff such as tying shoelaces or wearing shoes, and making beds, crunch times are not ideal for learning. So, seat aside some weekend time when shoe-tying and bed-making will be less stressful. This will make you child a young confident champion.

Curiosity and confidence: Encouraging your child’s curiosity is another way to foster confidence. Maybe your toddler makes noise-not music -when she bangs on the piano.

That is okay, she is boldly exploring the world to see what she can do.
-kidshealth.org