If you're like most parents, you want your child to feel good about themselves. You may be wondering how you can help them become more confident and independent. Raising a confident child starts with setting a good example yourself. In this blog post, we will discuss some tips for helping your child feel good about themselves and boost their confidence!
One of the most important things you can do as a parent is to be a good role model for your child. Show them that you are confident and comfortable in your own skin. Let them see you standing up for yourself and speaking your mind. This will help them understand that it's okay to be who they are and that they don't have to change themselves to please others.
It's also important to encourage your child to try new things and take risks. This will help them build their confidence and learn that it's okay to make mistakes. Encourage them to step out of their comfort zone and try something new, whether it's a new activity or just trying something different at school.
Finally, make sure to praise your child when they do something well. This will help them feel good about themselves and their accomplishments. Avoid criticism and instead focus on the positive. This will encourage them to keep trying new things and help them build their confidence.
These are all great suggestions for parents who want to help their children develop self-confidence. However, sometimes a child's low self-esteem is due to outside factors such as bullying from classmates or pressure from surrounding areas. As a teen, I had such high expectations of myself and wanted to please others so when I didn’t achieve what I wanted to achieve I felt like I was not ‘good enough’. I have shared my story in my book collaboration Letters to my Teenage Self which I hope will resonate and help teens today find hope in the struggles. If you suspect your child is struggling in this area, it's important to talk to them and get to the root of the problem. They may need extra support and encouragement from you to help them through this tough time.
What are some other ways you've helped your child build their confidence? Let me know in the comments below! I'd love to hear from you!
And remember, parents: you are your child's biggest cheerleader! Show them that you believe in them and watch their confidence soar!
As we come to the end of #childrensmentalhealthweek I wanted to share some practical strategies that you can use to support your teen if they are feeling anxious. This week has seen a specific focus on children’s mental health but the focus needs to be on this always! With statistics like ‘409,347 under-18s were referred for specialist care in England for issues such as suicidal thoughts and self harm between April and October 2021.’ and ‘1 in 3 under 18s struggle with anxiety’ we need to care, we need to raise awareness and we need to provide early support for the children of today.
There are many different ways that you can support your teen when they are dealing with anxiety and overwhelm. Some practical strategies include:
1.Encouraging your teen to express their feelings and concerns. This can be done through talking, writing, drawing or movement. We have a variety of emotion processing pads that aid the expression of feelings and they can be found here.
2.Helping your teen develop positive coping mechanisms, such as relaxation techniques, mindfulness, and deep breathing exercises.
3.Creating a safe and supportive environment for your teen to express themselves and their feelings. This could include setting aside time each day for conversation, being present and acknowledging that everyone makes mistakes but you love them unconditionally.
4.Promoting healthy lifestyle choices, such as exercise, adequate sleep, and a good diet. I know this can sometimes be hard in reality but we can model these healthy behaviours and boundaries and bit by bit our children will pick up on what we do too.
5.Encouraging your teen to communicate their needs by making requests and empowering them by offering choices whenever possible. Choices can help your teen feel more in control of their actions and emotions which is helpful because sometimes anxiety or overwhelm can build when we feel out of control in a situation.
Every teen is different, and what works for one teen may not work for another. Therefore, it is important to explore different strategies for helping your teen manage anxiety. I share different strategies and support in my free Facebook Community so please do join here.
A powerful way I have found to help teens to develop a more positive image of themselves and to increase their self-esteem is the habit of reframing thoughts. I have a workshop here that delves into that strategy further and you can access the recording here.
If you notice a rapid decline in mood and altered behaviours that means they could harm themselves then please do contact your GP to get further support.
