Let's endeavour to instill self-confidence in our children

Dear parents/guardians,

One of the greatest gifts you can give your child is belief in his/her ability to do. As we begin a new academic year regardless of how weak your son or daughter is, make a very conscious effort to build his/her self-confidence.

Without this absolutely essential quality all the money and/or resources you put in would not yield the desired results. Ironically, you do not need money to build your child’s confidence. Parents you are your child’s first role model, what you say to him/her influences how the child feels about him/herself.

Do not plant a tree and expect it to bear fruits when you have cut out the supply of carbon dioxide it needs the most. Your child needs self-confidence do not break it with your words and action.

A lot of children have carried the ‘I don’t know anything ‘, ‘I am too slow’ etc attitude into the classroom. And it is taking a huge toll on their performance. The actions and/or utterances of some teachers has not helped matters in the least.

I guess, every well-meaning parent wants his/her child to excel. Why then don’t you have a little more patience and replace those negative statement or actions and you constantly feed your child, with positive ones. After all you want the positive so why don’t you concentrate on it and you are most likely to get it.

The good news is that your child may not express it, but within him/her, he/she wants to succeed.

Punishment and threats are most likely going to affect him/her adversely. Sympathy will make your child comfortable with a situation which is not good enough. Be honest, don’t tell your ward he/she is doing good when that is really not the case. Your ward would grow not trusting what you tell him/her.

Neither should you tell your child s/he is not good. Tell him/her ‘you can make it in spite of all you are going through’. There couldn’t be a truer word. Encourage! Encourage!! Encourage!!!

Every child especially yours has a great seed within him/her waiting to germinate, water it with positive words. Don’t dare give up on that gem of a child, stand by him/her however long it takes and some day he/she will make a breakthrough.

Rayhann Shaban
Parent–Child Relationship Coach
Co-founder of Advocate Development Networks [ADN]
rayhannshaban@hotmail.com
0243414669/0200225235