Gift Your Children the Power of Confidence & Self-Esteem

posted on Jul 24, 2024

Gurukul The School are all in for positivity, but we don’t endorse toxic positivity. Sometimes, kids want their feelings to be heard and validated, even if they are feelings of loss, anger, frustration, confusion, or anything that isn’t typically deemed positive.

Every parent wants to raise confident kids who can effortlessly navigate complex situations. The question, however, is how to convert this desire into reality. After speaking to numerous parents and children over the years, we at Gurukul The School, ranked among the top 10 CBSE schools in Ghaziabad, can confidently conclude that the best way to instill confidence in kids is by nurturing in them a strong inner belief in their abilities. They must know that they are capable, even when faced with repeated setbacks.

Beliefs are like our mind’s engines that dictate our behaviors, actions, and thinking processes. Trust us, this one belief can help build up their confidence and self-esteem, removing most of the roadblocks to their personal development. Parents who have seen their kids hesitate to speak up for themselves or socialize with their peers must take these as signs to help build their kids’ confidence. This step can strengthen their foundation for a successful life, giving them a competitive edge as they grow older and get onto the path of pursuing their career goals. While there are numerous ways to foster confidence and self-esteem in kids, we recommend beginning with implementing the following ways:

• Prioritize Their Efforts Over Outcomes

Most adults already know that desired results may not always be achieved, even when they have given their best and know the subject well. However, when dealing with kids, the same adults often try to push them toward perfection or the desired outcomes. While this action stems from a positive concern, it can subconsciously chip away their confidence.

When parents become too obsessed with results and overlook the effort, kids attach their worth to results. If you want your kids to develop a ‘never give up’ attitude while firmly believing in their abilities, start praising and celebrating their efforts.

• Become Their Safe Space (Not Cheerleader)

We at Gurukul The School are all in for positivity, but we don’t endorse toxic positivity. Sometimes, kids want their feelings to be heard and validated, even if they are feelings of loss, anger, frustration, confusion, or anything that isn’t typically deemed positive. If you want to help your kids develop confidence and self-esteem, don’t give them a pep talk filled with empty platitudes when they talk to you about their defeats or lows.

Instead, try and become their safe space, so they feel empowered to share everything without any fear. When parents let their kids express their vulnerability, they build a strong foundation of trust and security that enables them to take risks, face challenges, and, eventually, believe in themselves.  

• Encourage Exploration and Discovery

You can never stick to a rigid learning routine and expect to bring out the best in your kids. While a structured routine helps to a certain extent, it isn’t designed to nurture all kids’ curiosity and innate abilities. Some children uncover their hidden talents while randomly pursuing their favorite hobby or simply exploring their surroundings. We believe explorations and discoveries are a crucial part of confidence building because it allows kids to go after their interests.

The process often introduces them to hidden skillsets they didn’t even know existed within them for years. To get started, parents must talk to their kids and learn more about their likes and dislikes. It will help design a personalized roadmap for boosting their confidence and self-esteem. For example, if your kid expresses a liking toward art, get them all the art supplies they need and see magic weave over a period.

• Let Them Make Age-Appropriate Choices

How would you feel if your seniors guide all your actions and you have no liberty to make your own decisions? Most will feel trapped and will eventually lose their spark, motivation, desire, etc., leading to a robotic and average life. The same applies to children. If parents don’t let kids make decisions for themselves, they’ll never know what and how to do the next right thing, stifling their growth in their adult years.

Giving them liberty doesn’t mean accepting all their demands but letting them make age-appropriate choices that don’t harm them in any way. For example, if your kids are too small, let them decide between two breakfast options, what color clothes they want to wear, what hobby they wish to pursue, etc. This small habit can skyrocket kids’ confidence and self-esteem by giving them ownership over their life activities.

Conclusion

We at Gurukul The School, one of the top 10 CBSE schools in Ghaziabad, firmly believe that when it comes to kids, there’s no gift greater than the gift of confidence and self-esteem because it prepares kids for their life journey ahead. If you want your kids to confidently navigate their lives and never settle for less than what they deserve, you must start nourishing their inner belief system that makes them their most confident and self-aware version.

This is the very reason why we created this blog post. The idea was to equip parents with some practical methods that can be easily implemented to foster confidence and self-esteem in kids from a young age. Since it is a long journey, we recommend parents to be patient and consistent to see tangible results.