How Building Confidence in Children Creates Successful Adults

Adults are just children in big bodies, it can be said.  If we help all children become more confident, will be have more successful adults?  It certainly stands to reason that we will.  With so many children being diagnosed with ADD (attention deficient disorder) and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) there is more chance of depression and anxiety occurring.  So what can be done.

Step 1: Focus on the abilities of the child, not what the child struggles to do.  Small achievements positively rewarded help to grow confidence.  The reward does not have to be candy, it can be a hug.  Many children are ‘hug deprived’, use any positive action to hug a child.

Step 2:  Make sure your educational institution provides the necessary resources for your child’s success. 

Step 3: Keep instructions simple, easy to follow and positive.  If you can say something in the negative, you can find a way to say it in the positive.  Instead of “Don’t do that”, replace it with “Please do __________” or “Lets work together to do ______________”.

Step 4: Be clear so that the directions given can be followed.  Vague instructions lead to misunderstandings. Then the directions are not followed and disappointment occurs.

Step 5: Use these same steps when working with adults and watch their self confidence improve, no matter how old they are.  In a business environment, you may not want to ‘hug’ a co-worker, but a pat on the back or the words “Good job” go a long way to getting more done in the future.

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