What is your child struggling with? Is it Maths? English? Homework? Making friends?… I have a great tip for you.
In fact it is one of the secrets to the success of my Tuition Centres. We put a lot of emphasis in building the child’s confidence.
So here is the tip in a nutshell:Competence builds confidence.
Here is what I mean by that:
If your child knows that he is really good at something, he becomes more confident and then that confidence spills over to other areas of his life and work. His competence in that thing will therefore build his confidence.
So how can you as a parent help your child build his confidence?
1. Celebrate him whenever you “catch” him doing that thing that he is good at.
2. Remind him of how he is good at that other thing when you see him struggling with something.
3. Reassure him that just as he was able to achieve that thing he loves, he can also get better at this one he is struggling with.
4. Reward him for a job well done.
5. Praise him for the effort – for example, say “I am so proud of you baby for trying so hard” or “Well done! you have achieved step one of the process!” … instead of waiting for the final outcome.
And one of my favourite and most effective tips…
6. Tell others about how great he is at that thing – and make sure he hears you saying it (In fact, pretend you don’t even know he can hear you!)
So, dear parent, it all comes back to understanding your child. When you do, you can quickly identify his strengths, abilities and talents (because every child has something special about them!).
When you understand your child, then you can focus on celebrating and encouraging his strenghts and achievements and this will build his confidence in this area and give him confidence in other areas.
