GIVING KIDS CONFIDENCE

Before I even had kids, I would daydream of how great they would be and I knew giving kids confidence was important. My husband and I both played sports in high school, so clearly our children would be superstar athletes. They would excel, and we would be the proud parents of athletic prodigies.

Soon enough, we became parents and within a short time of raising them, I had a shift in my paradigm. Although they enjoyed sports, it wasn’t as much as a priority as I had once thought. I had other plans—new plans for my children. They were going to do well in school. I wanted them to excel in academics and set goals to become doctors, lawyers, and CEOs. This is what I really wanted for my children. Time progressed and my children grew. I found myself, once again, wanting more for them. My children would do their best, but I didn’t care if they were amazing athletes or gifted scholars. I wanted something of greater value. I wanted them to be kind, loving, and confident adults.

We are our children’s best teachers. Children model and mimic our mannerisms, values, and behaviors. We cannot expect our children to eat healthy if all we eat is junk food.  We cannot assume our children will not lie, cheat or swear if that is all they have known from family life, however, the same principle applies to us giving our children confidence. Our children are a reflection of us. What are we giving them to reflect? Do our decisions and actions display confidence?

What is confidence?  Confidence is trust, certitude, assurance.  Confidence is believing in yourself. It is saying you will do something and then doing it. This comes down to doing the responsible and useful things for yourself, even when you don’t feel like it. If you can’t count on yourself, you will feel insecure. You will start to feel out of control and chaotic. If you learn to trust yourself and have consistent follow through, you will gain confidence.  What you think of yourself is what generates or deplete confidence.

When you start to have more confidence, you will set more goals, take more actions, and achieve more and confidence will soon become a self-belief. You will begin relying on your belief that you can handle anything. Increased confidence comes from changing your thoughts about yourself.  The more certain you become of yourself the more confidence you will attract. Start by learning to depend on yourself. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Secondly, try new things, meet new people, show up, take more risks, believe you are capable of more and then follow through. 

Confidence is a wonderful thing for you and giving your kids confidence is a wonderful thing for them and people are drawn to confidence.  It feels attractive and will create attraction. It opens many doors and offers opportunity. We lead by example. Don’t talk the talk, walk the walk. We often say and hear people say that they would do anything and everything for their children, but if you want to give your child the best gift, give them your own confidence.