Raising children who are healthy doesn’t mean just focusing on getting them to eat their vegetables. How they feel about themselves is important, too! It’s good for all kids to have a strong sense of self-confidence, but many parents are confused about what the right steps are for putting their children on the right path. What if you give them too much confidence? What if you unknowingly don’t give them the right kind of attention? Is there any way to get this parenting thing right?!
Don’t stress! We put together seven ways that parents can help their children grow into confident, secure adults. All it takes is a little patience — the path is easier to follow than you might think.
1. Join In On Playtime
Your child will know they matter if you show them how much they do — and it all comes down to playtime. Playtime is key for kids, and parents can engage with them in a whole new way if they join in on the fun. This can be as simple as taking a break from work to practice soccer drills with your kids or pulling out a notebook and drawing together — or even giving them your best “Arg!” as you two salty sea dogs pretend to be pirates taking to the seas.
2. Encourage Them To Pick Up Hobbies
School is important, but some kids need more than just academics to base their self-esteem upon. Even the best students can benefit from nonacademic activities that they participate in regularly. It can help widen their social circle and teach them skills they might not learn in school. Who knows? Your B+ student might be incredible at crafts. A hobby can awaken a lifelong passion in your child, and while we want our kids to succeed, having interested, interesting children is something to be valued, too.
3. Step Away From Micromanaging
It can be so tempting to tell your kids what to do (we all want that Harvard-bound concert pianist, don’t we?) instead of picking up on the clues that kids give us about who they really are. The difference is important. Parents who micromanage their kids don’t give them the time to figure out what they like to do and what activities they are intuitively interested in. We’ve all seen the child being forced to play Little League when they’d rather be in art class. Some parents are at risk of tiring their kids out and don’t let them have the chance for imaginative play. So instead of doing the “right” thing for your child, go with the flow and encourage them to pursue their own passions.
4. Teach Them To Take Small Steps
So your child wants to be the next Billie Eilish? That’s great! But even the singer herself would most likely say that it took many, many small steps to get where she is. Very few people are born knowing how to do everything perfectly, and parents are better off encouraging their children to experience growth in small increments, rather than big swings. Small steps lead to big victories in the long run! Be their cheerleader, not their manager. Saying “Good job on your reading!” or “I’m proud that you practiced your violin today!” can make a difference, too.
5. Teach Them About The Journey, Not The Destination
Goal setting can be important, but for kids it’s best to teach them that the process of learning is just as important. Plus, failure is a normal and meaningful part of the process. There have been so many important people who failed before they made it big. J.K. Rowling was living on welfare before Harry Potter was finally accepted by a publisher (after “loads” of rejection). Vincent van Gogh sold only one painting in his lifetime. Oprah Winfrey was fired from her first news anchor job in Baltimore, and now she’s, well, Oprah. Teach your kids to persevere even when the misstep feels huge, and they won’t feel the fall so deeply.
6. Let Them Figure It Out On Their Own
As hard as it can be to see your child fail, you can’t live their life for them. It can be so painful to see your child frustrated or hurt, but it will be better for them in the long run to try to solve some problems alone. It can help them build the resilience they need to figure out larger problems later down the road. Of course, you’ll always be their safety net, and you should let them know that you’ll catch them when they fall.
7. Spend Quality Time Together
At the end of the day, all your little one wants is to spend time with you — and making sure they know how important they are to you will make them that much more confident about themselves. So why not take a break and settle in for a movie night? One movie that is perfect for both parents and kids is the Amazon Original release Troop Zero, starring Allison Janney, Viola Davis, Jim Gaffigan, and young actress McKenna Grace.
Watch Troop Zero!
The film follows a space-obsessed girl named Christmas Flint (Mckenna Grace) who is determined to inspire her fellow misfits to reach for the stars, stand up for themselves, and fearlessly show the universe who they are. Of course, not everyone sees their shine, and they have some real obstacles in their way that keep them from reaching their goal: joining a local Birdie Scout troop. Can believing in themselves help them see their way through? To find out, watch the Amazon Original movie Troop Zero, now on Prime Video.
