Confidence is a huge skill to have that will greatly impact a child in their ways of communication, delegation and being able to handle tasks individually. There’s a big learning curve in motion when your child becomes confident in their own abilities, and parents can greatly help this along in a number of ways.
In this guide from a private nursery in Cobham, we explore how you can help your child with their confidence with these top tips.
Allow them to pick up things they wouldn’t ordinarily do
Part of learning how to be confident is experiencing things for the first time. This effectively gives your child their first steps towards being open, honest and trying their best at working things out for themselves. You can explore this in a number of ways, like giving them time to themselves for a short while to get them used to the feeling of being on their own. Or you can ask them to do something maybe you would be assigned to do, but feel like they would be able to handle it by themselves with a bit of direction. Slowly, give them more responsibilities and show that you do trust them with the skills they already have.
Ask them to pick up some chores around the house
A range of chores can be given to your child and you might not even realise it yet. Offer your child a number of manageable tasks they can do to keep the home tidy, like learning how to clean up work surfaces or polishing rooms.
Give them the chance to try out different chores and see which ones they enjoy the most – you might be surprised what tasks your child genuinely likes the idea of picking up. Give them charge of particular rooms in the house if they prefer to keep those areas clean and tidy, and ensure their bedroom gets the same amount of love as well!
Let them try out new things with their friends
A lot of the time your child will be experiencing new things without you being around, which is completely understandable and normal. To facilitate this however, you should work on giving your child free time to explore things with their friends or other members of the family.
If they feel like they can pick up any task they choose, or a new activity in the local area, they’re more likely to handle things on their own. This will give them a lot more confidence in handling tasks and issues whenever they arise.
Explore community involvement opportunities with your child
Involving your child in community-led initiatives, or helping out within the local area, will boost your child’s skills in being confident in their own abilities. From working at a charity shop or helping to fundraise for an organisation, to giving a helping hand at a nearby care home that’s in need of help – your child can make a big difference in small ways.
Improvement in your child’s awareness of the world and how their small acts of kindness can help others will make them feel confident in their skills, as well as learning from others. Teamwork, decision making and critical thinking are key skills needed in community projects that also factor in a child’s confidence.