As a parent, you want your children to look and feel confident on the inside, as well as on the outside. To accomplish this, there are certain habits and mannerisms we must instill in them at an early age in order for them to carry them on as they grow older.

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Instilling confidence in children at a young age isn’t a breeding ground for raising “brats;” it’s more so helping them to acquire life skills. Having confidence will allow them to know their own worth, regardless of what others may say or think. As your children grow, they will face scrutiny from other kids out of pure meanness, which usually stems from jealousy. When that happens, you want to make sure your child knows how to handle such situations.

Being proactive would be key. The old saying says “teach them while they’re young,” and that is a very true statement. When children are young, their minds are like sponges, and they retain any and every thing they see and hear, so if you exude confidence, they’ll pick right up on it.

If your little one is getting to that age where they soak up any information you give them, make sure confidence is one characteristic they absorb. Take a look at a few ways you can instill confidence in your child at a young age.

Lead by Example

Leading by example would have to be the number one way to teach your children anything in life. From birth, the parents are the people children see the most, so naturally, they’ll pick up on some of your habits. When asked what they want to be when they grow up, some children simply reply that they want to be like their mommy or daddy. When your little ones give that response, you really want to make sure you’re leading by example.

Now parents are human just like everyone else…meaning that you’re not perfect, so don’t have it in your mind that you have to be some sort of cookie cutter parent in order for your children to grow into decent human beings. Everyone’s parenting styles are different, and you know what’s best for your child. So as you go through life as a parent, just be mindful that you have a little one who is watching every little thing you do.

Wear Confident Clothing

The saying of “when you look good, you feel good,” applies not only to adults, but to children too. Dressing your children in clothing that makes them look good and feel good will definitely boost their confidence. Give your kids fun and fresh outfits to keep that confidence up!

By giving your child clothes that not only look good, but make them feel great, they’ll be sure to wear the accessory that makes their outfit complete, and that is their smile.  Children’s teeth are confidence boosters as well, so make sure your child is also picking up good oral care habits to go along with their confidence.

Give Compliments

There’s nothing wrong with giving your child compliments. In fact, kids enjoy compliments just as much as adults do! Also, get the thought out of your head that giving your child compliments will make them vain or conceited, because it won’t, if you compliment them the right way.

When you have your child, you of course think your child is the most beautiful child in the world… as all parents should. However, complimenting your child, while speaking negatively about another child is not the right way to do it. If you do, your child will develop an excessive ego, and begin to think they’re better than anyone else, which will cause behavior issues, and social difficulties for them later in life. You can compliment your child on their own attributes without shooting down someone else’s.