Photo by Jerry Wang on Unsplash
*Collaborative Post*
Confidence is a trait that enhances your life in more ways than one. As such, it is part of our responsibility as parents to raise children who believe in themselves. This will ensure that they become the kind of people who are not afraid to go after their dreams, whatever they may be!
While confidence is something that tends to fluctuate throughout the different stages of our lives, children tend to experience confidence issues for the first time during their preschool years. This is because it is typically the age when children start to compare themselves to others, likely due to the fact that they are interacting with each other in new ways.
As such, if your child has just started preschool, now is the perfect time to start working on their confidence, especially if you feel as though they are on the shy side!
Find an age-appropriate hobby. Picking up a hobby can improve your child’s confidence tenfold. This is because it helps them to show the value of hard work, and that they can truly do anything they put their mind to. It could also make it a little easier for them to make friends, as they have a shared interest they can bond over.
As such, now is the perfect time to enroll them in age-appropriate classes, such as preschool gymnastics, which can be instrumental in laying the groundwork for lifelong confidence.
Encourage independence. Independence and confidence often go hand in hand. This is because it helps them to develop a wide range of skills that leave them feeling much more self-assured. There are many ways in which you can encourage independence within your home, such as by telling your child that they are responsible for putting their toys away each day, or letting them decide what they would like to eat for lunch.
Start your day with positive affirmations. Encouraging your child to start their day with positive affirmations is another great way to boost their confidence. This is because it encourages them to develop a healthy, positive mindset when thinking about themselves. Though there’s no harm in doing otherwise, try to make sure that the affirmations are based on their skills and attributes as opposed to being appearance-related. This helps children to better understand their worth.
For example, they may want to start with the following affirmations:
- I am always kind to others.
- I brighten other people’s days by being myself.
- I am nice to play with.
- I always listen to what people have to say.
- I am great at __.
Final thoughts. In short, there are many steps that you can take to improve your preschooler’s confidence levels, from adding positive affirmations to their morning or bedtime routine to helping them find a hobby they genuinely enjoy. Of course, you should also remember that children often mimic the behaviors of their parents, meaning that the more confidence you display, the more confident your children are likely to be.