Last Updated on July 4, 2023 by alli
There are two important attributes a woman can possess; confidence and self-esteem. Without confidence, lots of opportunities in life can be lost, and having low self-esteem can impact a person’s mental well-being. It’s important to start building confidence in our little girls early on in childhood, as this will benefit them greatly when they’re adults.
My personal story
An example of a lack of confidence in adulthood is my own backstory relating to this blog. The truth is it took a few years for me to launch it.
The reason it took so long is that I procrastinated and felt overwhelmed by how much was involved. I lacked the belief that I could do it, and I didn’t back myself.
Now as a grown woman, looking back with understanding, I can clearly identify there have been many times in my life I didn’t pursue something purely because I lacked confidence. When our confidence is low we are scared of trying out new things because we fear failure. What we need is the belief that we can do it.
This is why it’s so important that we show our daughters that we believe in them because it really does matter.
As mothers of little girls, we can contribute greatly to their level of confidence and prevent them from missing out on opportunities because of a lack of self-belief.
The following are four important things you can do on a regular basis to help raise your daughter’s confidence. This will ensure that when she grows into a young woman and decides to take on a new challenge, she does it with confidence.
1. Ask for her help
Ask your daughter for her help as often as you can. It can be as simple as helping you cook dinner or helping you put the groceries away. Each time you ask her for help, essentially what you’re saying is “I believe you can do this; I have faith in you”.
It’s important to compliment her along the way as it’ll reaffirm to her that she’s doing a great job.
In addition to tasks, you could also ask her for her opinion on something, such as “Which pair of shoes should I wear with this outfit?” Or “Do you think this cushion should go here or over there?” Show her that her opinion is important to you and that you will take it into consideration.
2. Acknowledge and appreciate her efforts
We all know our children really well. In fact, nobody knows your child better than you. You know when she’s putting in the effort and when she’s not. So, whenever you see her trying her best to do something, even if she fails or comes last, make sure you appreciate her efforts.
It’s her effort that accounts for everything!
A child should never feel embarrassed for trying something. Parents should do their best to acknowledge and praise their children’s efforts whenever possible.
3. Let her try to work things out herself
There have been many times when I’ve given my daughter the answer to something or completed something for her because my impatience had got the better of me. It was just quicker to do it myself!
On occasions, my daughter has said, “Mum, let me work it out myself, I can do it!” Each time she says this to me, it really highlights how I just need to be more patient and allow her to simply give things a go.
Allowing your child to try and work things out for themselves, will build on their self-esteem each time they are successful. It will give them the skills they require to figure things out on their own.
If they have problem-solving skills when they’re older, they’ll not depend on someone else to fix things for them or bail them out. They’ll grow up to be resilient and independent adults.
In addition, each time they work something out on their own, their pride and confidence will grow.
4. Don’t get upset when she makes a mistake
Most of the time when my daughter makes a mistake she becomes frustrated and upset with herself.
Both my partner and I have made it a habit to tell her that everybody makes mistakes and it’s alright not to know everything. We tell her that most of the time when we make a mistake we can learn something from it.
Confident people learn to accept that mistakes will sometimes happen, and they are able to take it in their stride.
In Summary
Just like you, I have hopes and aspirations for my daughter and the main ones would be that she grows into a strong, confident, and independent woman. I’m sure you wish the same for yours.
Children are not born confident and independent. It’s our job to nurture and encourage our children as they grow.
Growing up with a lack of confidence can hold them back later in life and this is not what we want for them. We want them to seize every opportunity with confidence and full force.
I asked my daughter (at the age of 9) what confidence means to her?
Her response was –
“Confidence is when you are not afraid to try something. It’s when you are not afraid to make a mistake or do something in front of other people.”
What does your daughter think confidence means?
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