Instilling a sense of confidence in a child can be a parenting triumph. With so much pressure -- both academic and social and undue emphasis on performance these days, no wonder kids today are struggling with their confidence. For girls, the competitive climate can be even more harrowing as there are millions of conflicting messages targeted at them in all sorts of media. What's a girl to do when she has to face double standards of society and experience extra pressure to prove herself every step of the way? Well, for starters, she can think and live with confidence.

In an article titled 12 Ways to Raise a Confident Child, published in askdrsears.com, this line speaks volumes, "Self-esteem is your child’s passport to a lifetime of mental health and social happiness." True, indeed.

A self-assured person has already overcome half her challenges. Parents can raise self-reliant girls by teaching them the importance of living fearlessly. Equal treatment for all kids and talks about importance of positive body image can be helpful to raise confident girls. A confident child most often grows up to be a confident adult and enjoys professional success and a happy social life.

In the words of J.M. Barrie's famous character Peter Pan, "The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it." Developing this kind of surety or even a tenth of it in one's ability and smarts is possible by way of positive parenting skills. If your child is afraid to be out in the world and uncertain about her talents, you can help her live with optimism and courage and have a dauntless belief in her abilities.

For more on this topic, you can browse articles in this ClipBook.