How To Help Improve Your Child's Confidence In School
Helpful tips for parents as schools resumes .
As an adult, most things in life are
not too scary.Certainly we get nervous from time to time, but it is easy to
forget how the world looks to a child. Of course some children have more
self-confidence than others, but for children who are insecure and also those
with learning disabilities, school can appear to be a pretty scary place, regardless of
the child's age.
Even routine educational activities
can be a source of stress to children.
For example, the pressures of exams
and even occasional pop quizzes can put a lot of pressure on children, and
while they are an important part of education, it is important to help your
child approach such trials with confidence. Helping your children to build
their own confidence now will help them develop important coping skills that
will help them throughout their lives.
Problem Areas
Try to take a note of which subjects
your child likes and dislikes. Some subjects will be obvious favorites, and
that is always a good sign that your child may cope well in those courses.
However, the subjects that your child does not like are most likely to be the
ones in which his or her confidence will need greater support.
Anytime your children seem to be
avoiding certain subjects, or even faking illness on the days that they have
those subjects, you should consider whether it is because of a confidence
issue.
Reluctance to go to school in a
child with a disability may also indicate that his or her academic needs are
not being met or perhaps accommodations and specially designed instruction are
not being provided appropriately.
Give Your Child Confidence
I'm sure every parent likes to
shower their children with praise, but it might be helpful to be a little bit
more specific.
Children expect their parents to
tell them that they are beautiful, clever, wonderful etc... However, a great
way to help your child grow their confidence is to tell them with specificity
what they are actually good at. Most children struggle with some things and
have a natural ability with others. Unfortunately, talented children often do not even realize how talented they really are.
Anytime you notice that your child is good at something, let him or her know
with specific, genuine praise.
Listening
Children like to be paid attention
to - - just like adults do. When your child is telling you something that
happened, do your best to give your full attention and actively listen. You
would be surprised how good children are at telling when you're not really
listening. Try to respond constructively and avoid being dismissive and making
vague, general responses like "that's nice dear."
Take the Fear Out of Parent
Conferences
Parents can, often sub-consciously,
put a lot of pressure on their children, and when parent conferences roll
around it can be a scary time.
When you come back from a parent
conference, avoid the temptation to tell your children what they're doing wrong
and instead focus on the positives.
Telling your children about their
weaknesses isn't necessarily constructive. Instead, consider discussion with
their teachers how you could help them improve upon those weaknesses. Create a
plan and act on it.
Outside of School
Extra-curricular activities are
rarely a bad thing, so give your child every encouragement (without pressuring
them) to try new things. Clubs and groups are a great opportunity for your
children to practice socializing with new friends and away from the pressures
of school this can really help with insecurities.
Being Open
This is a simple tip, but one to
live by. Always be nurturing and loving, but also speak to your child about
their education. Let them know that if they have any problems at school they
can talk to you. It seems obvious, but to a child it might not be, so just
knowing that you're there can often make scary things a little less scary.
