Confidence is one of the most important sentiments a child must have in order to perform well at school, and to tackle challenges they will face throughout their lives. Children with positive self-esteem feel confident and capable. They are proud of what they can do and proud of their achievements, whilst also wanting to try their best. They value their abilities and they value themselves.

When children feel confident, safe and secure, they are more likely to succeed in school and achieve any personal goals. As confident children get older, they will be less intimidated and stressed out by challenges and be able to resist peer pressure. These children are also more likely to be able to stand up for themselves and ask for help when they need it. More importantly, having a positive self-image helps children feel happy and maintain personal relationships.

Inducing confidence in students is an essential key for their success. The amount of self-confidence a child has will affect their educational goals. Strengthening this in students can help prevent student dropout rates, ensure children maintain their love for learning and help them to achieve their goals and dreams.

How children develop positive self-esteem & confidence:

Children develop positive self-esteem and confidence by working hard towards a goal and seeing their hard work pay off over and over again. Being able to accomplish something shows them they have what it takes to face new challenges. Their success allows them to feel good about themselves, and they learn to be pragmatic when dealing with their failures.

When children do well at something, they can also share it with other people, such as their friends and the adults who care about them. Having positive feedback also makes them feel good. And over time, they can continue to build positive self-esteem and confidence in their own abilities.

When children have positive self-esteem they:

• Feel they have control over the events in their life
• Are resilient and able to feel pride in themselves, even when they make a mistake
• Understand they deserve respect
• Are confident to work autonomously
• Learn to take responsibility for their actions
• Become comfortable in starting and forming relationships
• Start to gain confidence and courage in making good decisions, even when dealing with peer pressure.

How to help your child build positive self-esteem & confidence:

Building self-esteem and confidence is possible. Children can learn to improve how they see and value themselves. It’s important to praise children in ways that build self-esteem and teach them to be proud of their accomplishments and efforts. Occasionally praising your child’s efforts is not the same as showering them with compliments for everything they do. Children are capable of distinguishing between when they’ve been successful and worked hard, and when they haven’t.

Friendships can also be a big part of building positive self-esteem. This doesn’t mean that children have to have heaps of friends or be popular. Simply having one friend who accepts you for who you are can make all the difference.
Help your children discover strengths to build on. Finding children’s’ strengths and things that they enjoy doing will allow them to tap into joy and confidence and take that feeling with them as they face challenges.

Key points:

• Children who value themselves are more likely to ask for help when they need it.
• Positive self-esteem gives children the confidence to face any challenges.
• Being supportive but realistic is essential in helping children build positive self-esteem and confidence.

Need some help building your child’s confidence?
Enrol with MWNS and let us help build your child into a confident learner, inside and outside our classrooms.