5 TIPS TO BUILDING SELF CONFIDENCE IN KIDS
How to develop self confidence in your child

Knowing how to develop self confidence in your child will strengthen their overall development.
Building self confidence in children should be practised using a positive self-esteem parenting approach
How to define self-esteem for kids…
Building self-esteem in children is all about helping kids feel good about themselves… proud of their own achievements. High self-esteem allows kids to gain a greater ability to believe in themselves, to solve problems and become competent.
Confidence building helps kids strengthen their ability to believe in themselves and to solve problems that enables them to feel more competent.
The foundation to a child’s self-esteem is built around strong, loving, warm, environmental relationships. Such an environment is the basis for developing self-confidence and encouraging kids to believe in themselves. This constitutes a more caring, worthwhile, and valued approach to confidence building, leading to strengthening self-esteem in children.
When looking at a child’s self-esteem, remember that all children are so very different. Some children just thrive on challenges and will persist until they succeed. However, this is not necessarily the norm and is not the case in many other children. Many children are more reticent, and shy away from trying new things.
What causes low self-esteem in children?
Low self-esteem in children can be caused by environmental changes, lack of education ……. or parenting and other missed opportunities. A prime example would be the effects of lockdown due to a pandemic like Covid-19. Another cause might be an over-emphasis on perfection or unrealistic expectations from their guardians. However, knowing how to teach confidence to a child and developing positive self-esteem can gradually overturn low self-esteem in children, through using positive self-esteem strategies .
Parents can use confidence building activities for kids to overcome low self-esteem issues
TIP 1 POSITIVE PARENTING STRENGTHENS SELF WORTH
Building up self-esteem
All children mess up from time to time and a child’s self-esteem can very easily be crushed if he or she is humiliated or if negative language is used. A child’s self-worth can be easily damaged by repeated negative language and this could lead to long term low self-esteem in children. Developing self-esteem in kids is about taking the time to explain quietly to them the situation at hand.
Building self-esteem in a child strengthens their self-worth
It is important to use a more positive parenting approach around language, tone of voice, that doesn’t fuel a child’s anger, resentment, shame or humiliation. Refrain from using the word “NO” or shouting at children, as these words and actions are negative. Replace them with positive words around what they can do, not what they cannot do. Focusing on a child’s efforts and achievements is the best way to positive self-esteem building.
Find reasons to praise a child.
Praise is positive self-esteem building that helps boost a child’s self-image… for example, thanking children for their input or help.
“Thank you for helping me make the cake, I needed your help”
“You made your bed! Well done. I am proud of you”
These statements are positive words that strengthen a child’s sense of self-worth. They feel appreciated and their self-esteem is strengthened.
A positive parenting approach demonstrates empathy and kindness, with clear limits and consistency

TIP 2 GENTLE ENCOURAGEMENT IS CONFIDENCE BUILDING
Developing self-esteem takes time and by lots of gentle encouragement, trying new and more difficult things, helps kids increase self-confidence.
Every child needs to feel worthwhile and valued.
A child’s good health is centered around their parent’s encouragement to eat healthy foods. A child’s self-esteem should also be centered on building self-confidence by parents. Confidence building needs parents, grandparents, guardians, or teachers to be focused on building up self-esteem with positive encouragement and praise, when deserved or needed. For a child to develop self-esteem, they need positive feedback and encouragement within a caring environment that has their best interests, needs and aspirations in mind.
Elmer’s Color-Changing Slime Kit
TIP 3 WORDS OF AFFIRMATION BUILD A CHILD’S SELF-WORTH OR SELF-IMAGE
From a very young age, children are developing a sense of their own identity, self-awareness, and self-worth. They are watching and learning from their parents, and those around them with regard to their facial expressions, their body language, and their tone of voice. They need to be cared for, loved, and appreciated. When children face new challenges and try new things, they are building self confidence and self-esteem. Every time they overcome these challenges, their self-image is strengthened.
Building self-esteem in kids means acknowledging a child’s self-worth.
Praising them for their efforts helps boost their self-image. A child’s self-value is increased dramatically, and they feel good about themselves. Compliments will affect a child’s self-esteem development. Even the smallest of things will help… parents showing excitement or words of encouragement and praise, enables a child’s self-esteem to grow and they feel proud and happy with their achievements.
TIP 4 CONFIDENCE BUILDING ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS
Developing positive self-esteem in a child
Board games are excellent confidence building activities for kids.

Introducing new games to children is a good confidence building exercise to strengthen and improve self-esteem in kids.
Self-confidence activities might include board games as they learn strategies… jigsaw puzzles, memory games, skipping with a rope, balancing, and catching a ball are all good self-esteem activities that can provide a confidence boost. Child self-esteem activities strengthen brain function, improve memory, as well as enhance hand-eye coordination.
Building confidence in your child allows them to feel pleased and have more belief in their own achievements when they have overcome something they may have previously found difficult to achieve.
High self-esteem children are far more willing to persist with difficulties or setbacks they may face. Children’s self-esteem levels grow dramatically when they overcome new challenges, no matter how small they might be. They are building self-confidence with every small achievement they overcome. A child’s self-value is given a boost and when they are building self-confidence this helps a child’s sense of self-value

TIP 5 HELP YOUR CHILD TO DEVELOP A POSITIVE SELF-IMAGE
A child’s self-image is defined by their sense of self-worth, meaning that if their self-value is low, they may need a confidence boost.
When children have a lack of confidence or a negative self-image it’s important to find ways to boost their self-image or their low self-esteem. Finding different ways to help around the home and setting them little tasks they can be involved in, boost their feelings of self-worth, and help them to feel valued and important.
Find chores kids can regularly get involved with.
Engaging children in special activities to improve self-esteem for their age group helps promote a positive self-image. Setting little tasks such as helping wash the car or helping to fold the washing are all tasks that are building self-confidence and a sense of responsibility.
When kids have a positive self-image about themselves, they are far more inclined to take on harder challenges, persist and be successful. Their self-worth and self-image are so closely linked that it’s important children feel good about themselves before they undertake confidence building activities.
KEY POINTS for CONFIDENCE BUILDING
- Children often compare themselves with others and sometimes failure happens. Confidence building is about allowing kids to fail but encouraging them to always try again and overcome their lack of self-confidence.
- Focus on a child’s efforts, as perfection and winning is not often possible. This builds resilience and courage.
- Praise your child’s efforts as this boosts self-worth and a child’s self-esteem
- A child’s self-esteem is boosted when they are successful after several attempts.
- Self-esteem enables kids to face new and more difficult challenges.
- Promote activities to improve self-esteem in kids.