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Confidence is an important trait for those who want to get the most out of life. Children who lack confidence tend to avoid trying new things because they are scared of the outcome and don’t want to disappoint people. As a result, they may be held back in various aspects of their lives going forward, including their career. An independent school in Surrey have put together the following advice to help parents raise a confident child.

Firstly, you should always reward your child for their efforts rather than their results. They should never be made to feel embarrassed for trying, even if they don’t succeed. Trying hard and being rewarded for it will lead to greater confidence than being afraid to try and therefore not doing well at all. It’s always good to teach your child the phrase ‘practise makes perfect’ without putting too much pressure on them to succeed.

Letting your child figure things out on their own is another way to help them become more confident. If you do everything for them, they will never learn how to work through problems without you. This applies to school work as well as other, more personal things. You should encourage them to be curious and ask lots of questions because it allows them to understand that there will always be things that they don’t know about that other people do know.

Regularly set your child small, realistic goals so that they can feel a sense of accomplishment on a frequent basis. Allowing them to feel proud of themselves will help nurture their confidence. Try not to criticise their efforts either, as this will only discourage them. Useful feedback is a far better way to ensure your child has the confidence to carry on trying.

Try and help your child experience as many new things as possible. This will help them learn that no matter how different something is, even if it’s a little intimidating and scary, they can conquer it. When they encounter a hardship or just something unusual or out of the ordinary, be sure to praise them for enduring it. Essentially, the aim is to applaud their bravery for trying new things. This will help them develop resilience and feel more comfortable dealing with the unknown.