The importance of self-confidence in students, especially girls, should not be underestimated.
A healthy sense of self-confidence is necessary for your child to develop social skills, become more resilient, and embrace her full potential inside and outside the classroom.
In this article, we will talk about the importance of self-confidence for students, as well as share five useful tips for helping your child develop healthy self-confidence right now.
What is Healthy Self-Confidence?
Self-confidence is a feeling of trust in one’s abilities, qualities, and judgment.
A healthy sense of self-confidence is all about having a balanced view of yourself — taking pride in your abilities while recognizing your flaws.
Children with a healthy sense of self-confidence are able to feel good about themselves and know that they deserve respect from others.
The importance of self-confidence should not be underestimated, as it has been strongly linked to happiness through multiple studies.
The Importance of Healthy Self-Confidence in Students
1. LESS FEAR AND ANXIETY.
A tendency to mull over worries and perceived mistakes can be very damaging to your child’s academic and social life.
A higher level of self-confidence can help her avoid giving into anxiety, break out of the cycle of overthinking and embrace her full potential.
She will be able to explore new subjects, roles, and hobbies, as well as follow her ambition without worrying about how others may perceive her.
2. IMPROVED MOTIVATION.
Low self-confidence can make a child feel like her goals and dreams are impossible to reach – or that she is unworthy of achieving those dreams.
These feelings will make it difficult for her to maintain a high level of dedication and motivation.
However, if you help a child build her confidence by teaching her to take small steps towards her goals, she will feel a sense of accomplishment. This sense of accomplishment will keep her moving forward when the going gets tough.
3. MORE RESILIENCE.
Self-confidence enables students to handle setbacks with ease.
Instead of being crippled by failure, resilient children get up quickly, learn from their mistakes, and try again.
They accept that failure is a part of life and take more chances as a result – which makes them even more successful later in life.
4. IMPROVED RELATIONSHIPS.
Improving self-confidence can help children who suffer from bullying or exclusion from social groups or cliques at school.
They will enjoy social interactions more because they won’t be worried about the impression they are making.
Plus, when someone’s fully present in the moment (verses worrying and comparing herself to others), she is more likely to notice the people around her. For example, if a friend seems a little down or if someone needs help.
This immediate awareness helps a child develop a strong sense of empathy and become a person who reaches out to help others.
5. A STRONGER SENSE OF THEIR AUTHENTIC SELF.
A strong sense of authenticity can be a source of power for your child.
When your child feels confident in who she is, what she stands for, and what her strengths are, she can maintain a strong sense of self-worth despite setbacks or perceived weaknesses.
In other words, she is able to embrace her full potential and let her best self shine through.
Five Ways to Improve Self-Confidence in Students
1. HELP THEM PRACTICE SELF-ACCEPTANCE.
Encourage your child to examine her strengths and weaknesses from a position of self-love and acceptance.
Teach her that she can address her weaknesses without being overly critical of herself.
Let her know that her worth is not dependent on her successes or failures.
2. FOCUS ON SMALL ACHIEVEMENTS.
Take some time to sit down with your child and make a list of things she has already achieved in life.
It doesn’t matter how small or large her achievements are.
Creating this list will help her develop a sense of achievement and self-confidence.
It also gives her something positive to look back on when she experiences a setback or failure.
3. SET MANAGEABLE GOALS.
Teach your child to set small, manageable goals when it comes to improving skills or addressing weaknesses.
Becoming comfortable with small steps can make the big steps seem far less daunting and anxiety-inducing.
4. SEEK OUT POSITIVE EXPERIENCES.
Being around critical, judgemental individuals can affect how we feel about ourselves.
Help your child surround herself with positive experiences and people to boost herself-confidence.
5. CONSIDER A REWARDS SYSTEM.
Coming up with a rewards system can be helpful for building your child’s self-esteem and confidence.
It can make a scary step or project seem much more fun and worthwhile.
Simply giving praise to your child can also work as a self-confidence boosting reward.
Click here to find out more on out you can help Empower your ninja!
Marlborough School is an independent college-preparatory secondary school for grades 7 through 12 at 250 South Rossmore Avenue in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Marlborough was founded in 1889 by New England educator Mary Caswell and is the oldest independent girls’ school in Southern California.[1] In 2016, Town & Country magazine ranked Marlborough as the “best girl’s school in America.”