How to Give Your Kids Confidence & Empathy
Building kids' confidence and empathy is a gradual process that can take many years. Children learn from example, so if you express confidence about life and its challenges, your child is likely to adopt the same attitude. Likewise, if a child sees that you react to a person's bad luck with empathy, she will learn about emotional responses. Parents need to spot opportunities for a child to develop confidence and empathy. Good communication is vital, and the judicial use of praise is also critical when building these character traits in children.
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Instructions
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Praise
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Accentuate the positives in your child's behavior and downplay the negatives. Any praise should be specific, rather than general, so he feels that it is genuine. A series of rote compliments -- "Well done, how clever" -- will not impress your child. Praise achievements and kind acts that the child has carried out.
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Discuss emotions at an early age with your child. For example, if your son is upset when another child grabs his toy, talk about his feelings of sadness and anger. At a later date, your child will be more likely to understand another child's emotional response if a similar situation occurs.
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Set an example for your child. Regularly express empathy for other people. If you are watching a TV news channel, for example, and there is a story about people being evacuated because of extreme bad weather, discuss this with your child and express sympathy for the evacuees. In terms of confidence-building, do things outside your comfort zone and show your child that you are not afraid of new experiences. This will teach your child to take on new challenges without fear.
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Give your child opportunities to makes some of his own decisions. For example, if he gets an allowance, let him budget and spend it on what he wants. Give your child some independence and time by himself instead of managing his life every minute of the day. Children who are constantly spoon-fed do not grow up to be confident adults because they tend to need continual support and reassurance.
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Discuss hypothetical situations with your child to build empathy. For example, talk about how she would feel if she were bullied at school, or how she would feel if she lost a favorite toy.
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Tips & Warnings
Children need to practice empathy with their peers, so make sure your child mixes with other children regularly.
Seek help if your own confidence levels are low or if you have mental health problems that prevent you being a positive influence on your child.
Avoid talking in a negative way to other people about your child. This can have a detrimental effect on confidence and self-esteem.
Do not expect too much too soon. Very young children tend to be more self-centered and less aware of other people's feelings.
References
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