C. Pickhardt
A kid who lacks confidence will be reluctant to try new or challenging things because they're scared of failing or disappointing others.
1. Appreciate effort no matter if they win or lose.
2. Encourage practice to build competence.
3. Let them figure out problems by themselves. If you do the hard work for your child then they'll never develop the abilities or the confidence to figure out problems on their own.
4. Let them act their age. Don't expect your child to act like an adult.
5. Encourage curiosity. Sometimes a child's endless stream of questions can be tiresome, but it should be encouraged.
6. Give them new challenges. Show your child that they can make and accomplish small goals to reach a big accomplishment.
7. Avoid creating short cuts or making exceptions for your child. Special treatment can communicate a lack of confidence.
8. Never criticize their performance. Nothing will discourage your child more than criticizing his or her efforts.
9. Treat mistakes as building blocks for learning
10. Open the door to new experiences
11. Teach them what you know how to do. You are your child's hero — at least until they're a teenager.
12. Don't tell them when you're worried about them. Parental worry can often be interpreted by the child as a vote of no confidence.
13. Praise them when they deal with adversity. Life is not fair. It's hard, and every child will have to learn that at some point.
14. Offer your help and support, but not too much of it
15. Applaud their courage to try something new
16. Celebrate the excitement of learning. When you're growing up, the journey is more important than the destination.
17. Don't allow them to escape reality by spending all their time on the internet
18. Be authoritative, but not too forceful or strict. When parents are too strict or demanding, the child's confidence to self-direct can be reduced.