MENTOR RESOURCES: Building Confidence
25 Ideas to Build Child’s Confidence
- Ensure they know your love is unconditional
- Give age-appropriate chores around the house or classroom
- ADDRESS THEM BY THEIR NAME
- Give them age-appropriate “special tasks” to help you out
- Join their play (and let them lead)
- Focus on improving your own confidence
- ASK THEM FOR ADVICE OR THEIR OPINION
- Make special time together
- Let them make age-appropriate choices
- SET ASIDE TIME WHEN YOU GIVE THEM UNDIVIDED ATTENTION
- Encourage them to try theater class
- Praise them the right way
- LET THEM OVERHEAR YOU SPEAKING POSITIVELY ABOUT THEM TO OTHERS
- Resist comparing them to others
- Practice positive self-talk with them
- Hang their portraits or artwork around the home or classroom
- TEACH THEM HOW TO SET AND ACHIEVE GOALS
- Encourage to try new things to develop new skills
- Help them discover their interests and passions
- HELP THEM OVERCOME THE FEAR OF FAILURE
- Encourage them to express their feelings
- Make sure they know you’re upset with their choices, not who they are
- Surround them with positive, confident people (including their friends)
- CREATE A WALL OF FAME TO RECOGNIZE THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS
- Shower them with hugs (and high 5s and fist bumps!)