Build Your Child’s Self Esteem & Confidence

Do we adults create an impression which in turn creates a pattern of behaviour or response in a child’s mind for situations in future or for that person? 

How parents & teachers react or how people, in general, react to their queries or behaviour can determine if that parent, teacher or any other adult is their go-to space for sharing and understanding what the child feels. Do you agree? 

Have you hesitated to go to some people and openly shared with a few based on how they would have responded to you or anyone else around you (which you have observed) in the past? 

“I don’t think this person will be able to understand me well or this person won’t judge me,” is what one might feel at times. 

This has certainly happened to me. Be it at school with my teachers or at home and in other surroundings.

Many times the perception or the response has also been based on 

• The overall nature of that person or how that person approaches the situation. 
• Whether that person is calm or restless, judgemental 
• Is the person approving & a good listener 
• Just wants to give only and only his/her opinion without a deep understanding  
• Empathic and caring or just disconnected

Many such factors might decide our connection with the person and direct us to have a view or many times a perception of a safe space to share our mind. 

So, when we ask kids to trust us, that they can share with us whatever they want with us is not a very easy task for them.

First, adults – parents, teachers, family and other trusted entities have a big role in giving that trust back through our own actions & responses and not reactions.Then only kids will open up and be themselves and not just our child or student.  A feeling of being understood can help overcome any kind of storm within us and sometimes accept a few situations and life, with the help of a strong support system. 

Can we just listen to them and let them say and be the authentic person they are. Let them vent, be happy, sad, overwhelmed, any kind of feelings and emotions? 

I am sure the first and foremost act to get a child to be himself/herself would be to make them feel that they would not be judged and actually display it in our actions and behaviour. 

This gives them freedom from overthinking, not being able to express, fear of being labelled,  judged and many such feelings. 

A small act of assurance by our actions can build a confident child for the future. And enables a feeling of trust towards people in general and kindness and empathy towards oneself, besides being kind and empathetic towards others.  

It will teach them to share, open up, also set safe boundaries and most importantly a very safe space.

Because they might be younger to us but ultimately, they are human.