Cheng Cheng Tan
More Tips On Confidence Building For Kids
Since it is so crucial that kids grow up believing in
themselves, I have more tips for you.
1) Do not criticize. Criticism can greatly diminish
confidence. It is easy for parents to say "See, I told you
not to do that and now you are dirty all over." We need to
remind ourselves constantly that everytime we diminish
their self-esteem, it will take us a lot more effort to
restore it. Or even worse, we leave it as it is and the
child will hesitate to do new things in future. If you have
nothing good to say, it is better not to say anything. Talk
to children about their mistake in a positive way.
2) What is your first reaction when you see your child in
your room full of lipstick on his lips and all your
lipsticks are spoilt? Will you start screaming at him? Most
of us would. Then you would have fallen into their trap.
What should you do then? Make them clean up the mess, even
if it takes half the day. The child have to pay for the
lipsticks by either not having a new toy or no Macdonalds
for the next two months. Screaming at them does not really
help as they already feel frightened when they know you
have found out the truth. Let them learn that they have to
be responsible for what they do. If they can come up with
their own punishment (which you are agreeable to), that
would be better.
3) One of the easiest way is to hang up their pictures on
the wall so that visitors can take a look at them too.
Encourage them to take about the story or idea behind the
picture. If your kids are older, you could embark on a
project to write a storybook. The child could write on a
short chapter a week. They can also hang up short articles
or jokes on the wall.
4) Communicate with your child as much as possible. You
will need to know what they are feeling and thinking before
you can decide on the next course of action. Most parents
spend time and money attending courses to find out about
how to deal with their children when the most important
thing they need to do is to spend more time with them.
5) Help children to find their own interest and build on
it. Try not to emphasize on perfection and competition.
Instead focus on doing their best and enjoying the process.
The process is just as important ,if not more important
than the result. Children will realize that there are so
many things to learn on the way which are so valuable to
them.
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Cheng Cheng is a parenting expert with two boys age 5 and
6. She has learnt a lot from books and other mothers. She
hopes to share her experiences and knowledge which will
definitely be useful to you. For more articles, please go
