Building a child's self-confidence is an ongoing process that takes work, patience and an understanding of the feelings of the child. You must pay attention to signs and clues giving you a glimpse into the child's overall emotional well-being. As self-confidence is taught and built upon, you must be cognizant of any issues, concerns or events that may set the child back a few steps.
Instructions
- 1 Observe the child and take specific notes about how they react to pressure and other situations. For example, watch how the child interacts with other children of the same age. Pay attention to situations in which the child appears to pull back or act withdrawn. Note and list all behaviors that you notice and log the events leading up to the noted change in the child's confidence level.
2 Talk to the child alone in a neutral environment. For example, take the child to a park or out for something to eat and have an open discussion regarding how the child perceives themselves. Ask open-ended questions about how other children and situations make them feel. Pay attention to clues and listen for negative words and phrases used by the child. Correct the child when they talk negatively and remind them of all of things they do right.
3 Monitor the child regularly and every time you notice a marked change in their confidence level, sit down and talk to the child. Make sure to praise the child daily and make the things they do outwardly important. For example, if a child lacks confidence in school based on grades, make sure to reward the child for getting a score higher than expected, and showcase good work on refrigerators, walls or other publicly-visible areas to show that you believe in the child and celebrate his or her accomplishments.
4 Remember to vocalize your feelings about the child on a daily basis. This includes every morning telling the child to have a good day, asking the child about their day in the evenings and talking about daily events and happenings every day, to show enthusiasm about occurrences that were important to the child.
5 Solicit help and advice from professionals in the event that you are unable to get the child's confidence level to a point where the child has built self-esteem. Talk to pediatricians, family doctors and school counselors if you believe that the child needs help beyond what you can provide. In this case, make sure to let the child know that outside help is not a sign of failure but rather a promising avenue to make your child even more confident.
