Parenting

How to raise a confident child and not an overconfident one?

Answered by Team ParentCircle

Dear Parent,

We sometimes try to encourage our children by praising anything and everything they do. We don’t realize that the wrong kind of praise could make their child feel overconfident, or afraid to try new things. Genuine and specific praise can help your child build self-confidence. If your child shows you a drawing she has done, if you simply say, “Wow! That is beautiful. You are an amazing artist,” it sends your child the message that ‘he is the best’.

Instead, you could say:

• “I see you have spent a lot of time on your painting. I really like the way you drew the clouds in the sky.”
• “What do you like about your drawing? Is there anything you would like to do differently?”

If your child says she is not satisfied with the drawing, ask her how he would like to improve the drawing. In this way, you will not be judging her work or giving false praise. Instead, you would be encouraging her to learn how to appreciate her own drawing skills.

This way, the child becomes aware of both his strengths and the areas he can improve on. He will build confidence as he learns from his mistakes and makes progress.

Click on the links below for more tips:

Help build your child's self-esteem

How to Build Confidence and Self-Esteem in Preschoolers (3 to 5 Years Old)

Your Child Will Have Fun Doing These Top 10 Confidence-Building Activities

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