Confidence is one of the greatest gifts a parent can give their child. But how can we raise confident and emotionally-secure children?
The Importance of Attachment
Establishing a healthy attachment in our children’s earliest years is essential to their sense of security in themselves and the world around them.
Healthy attachment means providing a source of comfort and encouragement, creating a safe space where children can learn to explore and communicate their feelings.
So, what can we do as parents to help support our children’s confidence and emotional security? Here are our top 5 tips.
TIP ONE: Always Make Time.
Our children need us around to feel secure. Whether they’re learning or playing, laughing or crying - you need to be around so they know that you’re always there for them.
Having device-free mealtimes is one easy way to make time for meaningful conversations with your child.
TIP TWO: Show Encouragement.
Encourage your child as much as you can. It is important that they know that they’re good at things, and that they know when they get it right.
How we respond has a powerful effect on our children. Our voices, and what they hear from us, ultimately become their inner voices. So, by celebrating them their achievements, big and small, they will learn to also be proud of themselves and believe in themselves. By using positive language with them and praising them, they will flourish.
TIP THREE: Talk!
If your child is struggling with any emotion - big or small - it’s extremely important that they learn to talk about how they feel.
Encourage them to open up and learn to put words to their feelings: knowing they can talk to you about how their day was or what’s on their mind helps build trust.
Developing a vocabulary for their feelings also helps children to make sense of what they’re feeling - so model this by talking about your own feelings.
Teach them terms like frustrated, disappointed, worried - but also model strategies for dealing with these feelings...such as talking them through, going for a walk, or spending time with friends.
TIP FOUR: Listen!
Get to know the language your child uses to express his/her emotional world. For example, many early years and primary schools use the ‘Zones of Regulation’ colours to help children identify different emotions and learn coping strategies for each one.
Whatever language is used at your child’s school or nursery, try to use it with them at home too. This can help reinforce the strategies being taught, thus making them more effective.
TIP FIVE: Lead by example.
Learn to talk openly about your own feelings and model healthy strategies for coping with the tricky ones. For example, “I’m feeling a little bit upset today. Exercise always helps me feel better when I’m feeling down. Do you want to come for a bike ride with me?”
Your children will learn from watching you manage your emotions, so talking openly about feelings and strategies for coping with them paves the way for them to do the same.
----- This is an article by an ibu Sponsor
At Garden International School, we believe that children’s confidence and emotional wellbeing is as important as their academic development. This educational ethos starts at our Early Years Centre (EYC) where our youngest students are encouraged to explore an enriched environment in which they feel valued and develop the self-confidence to become lifelong learners. Our team of dedicated staff actively promote positive relationships and support children in developing effective communication skills that will enable them to flourish - socially, emotionally and academically.
Interested to learn more about GIS? Get in touch, book a tour or discover more of GIS at gardenschool.edu.my or via feedback@gardenschool.edu.my
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