Raising Confident Children

How do we raise confident children. How do we keep them grounded, yet self-assured in a world that is increasingly interested in the promotion of self-interest and selfishness with success received at any cost and by any means necessary?

1. Tell your children that they are special. Let them know that they count in your life and are an important part of it. Self - assured children are usually allowed to take risks (intelligent risks please!) and step out on a limb to try something new.

2. Allow them to work alongside you. Let them crack the eggs for you while you mix the ingredients of the cake. Let them turn the wrench a few times to loosen a bolt on a bike or gadget you are taking apart or putting together. Give them a paintbrush and allow them to paint part of that living room wall. I can assure you, the pride that comes in being involved in something with tangible results is a great confidence booster (works for adults too). They also get to show everyone who comes into the house the results of their handymanship.

3. Teach your sons how to cook and bake, and your daughters how to build and fix. A multifaceted individual is always going to be more confident than one who is not sure of some things. They can then hold their own in any conversation and be the go-to person for ideas or solutions. Plus, they get to be self-assured and independent. Nothing like being able to do it for yourself to build your esteem.

4. Allow them to fail. This is an important part of building confidence. Failure is not always a bad thing. Mistakes teach us what works and what doesn't and prepares us to make less mistakes later. Life is full of things that go wrong, but a child that learns how to deal with failure will confidently move forward for they have learnt that failure is just a stepping stone to success.
If you have any other ideas about how to raise confident children, please share them with us. We would love to hear from you.