Confident Kids Come From Parents Who Do These 5 Things
Parents who want kids who know their strengths and play to them do these five things
By | Lizzy Francis | www.fatherly.com
From the moment a baby is born, they start learning. They learn how to cry, eat, sleep, poop. They start to walk and grasp their hands, and, as they become little capable children who can build blocks and read short words and go on the real potty, they start to become confident beings. But that sense of confidence needs to be fostered as little kids become big kids and encounter more complex challenges. So how do parents make sure their kids have a healthy sense of confidence?
We spoke to Roseanne Lesack, Ph.D., a child psychologist and director of the Unicorn Children’s Foundation Clinic at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, about five things that parents can do to instill confidence in their kids.
They Tie Their Kid’s Work Ethic to Their Success
Parents should always compliment their kid’s work ethic, even if they don’t get an A on the math test or win the soccer game. When parents praise kids for the effort they’ve made, rather than the results of that effort, kids develop a healthy self-confidence that’s tied to their pride in being a hardworking person.
“Kids should be able to say: ‘I’m confident in these areas, because I’ve worked hard. I’ve practiced a lot. I really want to get good at this,’” says Lesack. If parents don’t stress this, kids might forget their worth if they fail at a math test despite their best efforts, which can lead to a crisis of self-confidence.