Build self confidence in your child. You can make a big difference.

Never underestimate the difference you can make for your child’s self confidence. Your child trusts your judgement and above all believes in you as their mentor and life support. They take what you say very seriously and need your reassurance. Here are some examples of how to keep up the important role of boosting their self confidence.

• Encourage your child to celebrate their achievements, no matter how small. Whether it's mastering a new skill, completing a task independently, or showing kindness to others, take the time to celebrate their successes.

• Provide specific and genuine praise for your child's efforts and accomplishments. Instead of just saying "good job," highlight what they did well and why it matters. They need to understand why they are receiving the praise, so label it.

• Teach your child to use positive self-talk by affirming their strengths and abilities. Tell them how you like to hear them talk about their achievements out loud.

• Help your child set realistic goals that they can work towards. Break larger goals into smaller steps and celebrate each milestone. This helps build a sense of accomplishment and confidence. Also they need to receive regular reassurance especially younger children.

• Encourage your child to take healthy risks and step out of their comfort zone. Whether it's trying a new activity, speaking up in class, or making new friends. Teach them that making mistakes is part of life.

• Give your child opportunities to make decisions and choices independently. Whether it's choosing what to wear, what to eat for snack, or what game to play, they will be more personally satisfied and more engaged in activities etc. if they take responsibility.

• Teach your child resilience by helping them bounce back from setbacks and failures. Encourage them to learn from mistakes, problem-solve, and persevere in the face of challenges. Talk about how you do this in your life.

• Be a positive role model for self-confidence by demonstrating confidence in yourself. Show your child how to handle challenges and how to embrace your strengths and weaknesses. Be authentic when you talk about yourself and all your foibles.

• Above all, provide your child with unconditional love, acceptance, and support. Let them know that you believe in them, no matter what, and that you are always there to help them succeed.

• You love them for who they are and in all circumstances.

Building self confidence in your child is all about teaching them that they can confidently be in charge of their own lives as time progresses. Here we are building emotional intelligence.

“Confident, happy children feel good about themselves and achieve well. It’s natural.”

— Gail J Smith

The importance of helping your child develop a positive body image

As parents we can be very helpful in our children’s formation years, encouraging them to love themselves and to appreciate how they look and feel about themselves. There are many challenges in today’s world with body image and our children can be exposed to some very unhealthy misconceptions. In their vulnerable years, they can be easily influenced and our role as parents is to offer a nurturing, gentle introduction to developing in themselves, a positive body image, where self-love takes a focus.

Consider the following suggestions:

• Model positive body image and self-confidence in your own attitudes and

  behaviours. Avoid making negative comments about your own body. Talk about

  how you work on building a healthy body. Show them that you are very

  comfortable in your skin.

• Teach your child to use positive self-talk and affirmations to promote self-

  acceptance and confidence. Encourage them to focus on their strengths, rather

  than comparing themselves to others. Talk openly about feeling good about

  yourself is so important.

• Shift the focus from appearance to health by emphasizing the importance of

  nourishing their bodies with nutritious foods, getting regular exercise, and

  getting enough rest. Encourage them to listen to their body's cues and prioritise

  self-care. Present images of healthy looking people and keep away from the body

  beautiful image.

• Talk to your child about the unrealistic beauty standards portrayed in media and

  how they can distort perceptions of body image. Help them develop critical

  thinking skills to question media messages. Beauty comes in many forms is an

  important message.

• Celebrate diversity and teach your child to appreciate the beauty of different body types, ethnicity, and cultures. Talk about differences and how healthy it is that we have variations in our body shapes and attitudes to others.

• Encourage your child to engage in activities that make them feel good about

  themselves and their bodies, such as sports, dance, art, or hobbies. Focus on the

  joy of movement and the sense of accomplishment rather than appearance or

  performance. Keep an eye on how they dress and affirm responsible dress ware.

• Create a supportive and inclusive environment at home where your child feels

  accepted and valued for who they are. Encourage open communication and

  provide reassurance and encouragement when they express insecurities. Make

  your home a comfortable inclusive space for everyone in all shapes and sizes.

• Emphasise the importance of inner qualities such as kindness, compassion,

  intelligence, and creativity over external appearance. Help your child develop a

  strong sense of self-worth based on their character and values rather than

  superficial attributes. It is not what we look like it is alley about what is inside.

• Limit exposure to media that promotes unrealistic beauty standards or negative

  body image messages. Encourage your child to follow positive role models and

  influences who promote self-love, body positivism, and exclusivity. Leave

  healthy journals and magazines around the house promoting good health and

  hygiene.

• If you notice signs of body image issues or low self-esteem in your child, seek

  professional help from a therapist or counsellor who specialises in body image

  and self-esteem issues. Monitor your child’s changing attitudes to themselves

  especially when they enter teenage years.

Take care to have no negative talk about body images that you see on television, social media etc. Be a safe house where you understand that people are basically different and that’s OK!

“Dear Body,
You were never a problem. There is nothing wrong with your size.... You’re good enough already.”

— livesimplynatural

Teaching good manners is a great life skill

If we want our children to be well accepted and socially adapt then teaching and modelling good manners gives them a great advantage in life. Manners are a good way for you to show gratitude, display respect and demonstrate kindness. Well mannered children are highly sort after for leadership, advanced learning opportunities, senior roles etc.

Here are five key reasons outlining the benefits:

Social Skills and Relationships

Good manners help children interact positively with others, building strong relationships. When a child has good manners they are welcomed into groups. Other children feel comfortable around them and not threatened by unpredictable behaviour. Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others.

Respect and Empathy

Manners teach children to be respectful and empathetic towards others' feelings and perspectives. A well mannered child is very conscious about how to address people and how to engage with someone in difficult circumstances. Their powers of observation in dealing with people is more acute

 Confidence and Self-Esteem

Practising good manners boosts children's confidence and self-esteem in social situations. They feel more sure about themselves knowing that how they communicate often sets the scene for conversation.

Success in School and Future Career

Having good manners positively influences academic success and future career prospects. People are attracted to well mannered people and are comfortable in engaging with them.

Positive Reputation and Liability

Children with good manners are often well-liked and respected by peers and adults. There is nothing more pleasant than being around people that make you feel comfortable.

A child who has acquired the good habit of using manners is in a class of people who are self assured, understand boundaries and who will intuitively use their language to keep the quality of conversation at a high level.

‘ Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot.’ Clarence Thomas