Encourage and challenge – How children become self-confident and strong

All parents want strong children who believe in themselves and their needs without fear, express themselves and go through life with open eyes. “For a child to become a self-confident personality, it needs a lot of warmth and security, attention and devotion, but also encouragement and encouragement,” says Karin Schreiner-Kürten, a qualified psychologist at the AOK Federal Association. For a child to be happy and self-confident, it must be sure of the love and affection of its parents. “Support your child and trust him with something,” advises Karin Schreiner-Kürten. “Make your child feel valuable and unique – this will build their self-esteem.” In addition to the, parents, educators, relatives, and friends can do a lot for a child’s positive development.

Remember the praise.

Praise and recognition are also critical. “Highlight small successes and take failures as an opportunity the child can learn something from,” advises the psychologist. For the child to feel fundamentally accepted, the adults should never judge the child as a person but always give feedback on their behaviour. For example, instead of “you’re angry,” it’s better to say, “It’s not okay for you to throw your toys on the floor.”

At the same time, parents should not be overly protective of their offspring but rather give them age-appropriate freedom to discover their creativity and make their own experiences. With independent research, playing and moving, the child can get to know itself and have its first sense of achievement.

accept opinion

“Every child must also learn to represent their point of view and thus accept resistance – that forms their self-confidence,” says the psychologist. Parents should accept their opinions and let them participate in family decisions. At the same time, every adolescent must learn to accept rules because a child whose every wish is fulfilled does not learn to be able to do without.

This deficit in development leads to a low frustration tolerance and can become a severe disadvantage later in life. Schreiner-Kürten: “People with a low frustration tolerance are far more at risk of escaping into addictive behaviour than others who have learned to abstain.”

Do not give up.

Parents should also know they are an essential role model for their daughter or son. “Anyone who sits in front of the television for hours, for example, doesn’t come across as credible if they want to ban their offspring from television,” explains Karin Schreiner-Kürten. “It’s better to lead by example.” This also applies when dealing with alcohol.

How the parents resolve conflicts among themselves is also decisive for the child’s later behaviour. To encourage also means to demand. “Don’t give up too quickly if your son or daughter doesn’t dare to do something. Be patient if, for example, the child is afraid to jump into the water at the swimming pool,” recommends Karin Schreiner-Kürten.