One of the biggest issues affecting a child’s academic performance is lack of confidence. It can strike at any time or age – and have seriously long-lasting effects.
No wonder – here at 121 Home Tutors – scores of worried parents approach us about this problem every year. Sadly, a lack of self-esteem can be a vicious circle.
When children don’t believe in themselves, anxiety kicks in affecting performance. Not meeting academic expectations then feeds the fear of failure. And before you know it, you’ve a troubled child on your hands…
Does your child have crippling self-esteem?
- Is your child plagued by self-doubt, or is constantly self-critical?
- Does your child fear having a go at something, or avoids joining in?
- Perhaps your child compares themselves critically to their siblings, friends or peers?
- Maybe your child goes into a huff easily when you try to help them with school work?
If your answer to any of the above is a YES, take action. Children can’t just ‘snap out of it’ or get themselves out of the hole they are in without some support. They need a helping hand to raise their self-esteem…
Three brilliant ways to boost your child’s confidence
- Celebrate failure, then keep going. Teach your child that everyone makes mistakes, that it’s OK to get it wrong. Share some of your early failures and successes so they realise that it’s normal to fail. The trick is to learn from our mistakes – and to not give up.. Just imagine if J.K.Rowling had given up after 12 publishers rejected ‘Harry Potter’?!
- Praise effort … Look for the positives. Even if your child did badly in a test or exam, praise them for their attitude, that they had a good go, that the test shows they got lots right but it wasn’t their day. Life is not about passing first time, or getting good results every day. Sometimes, just showing up, having a go and achieving small steps are just as important as the big stuff.
- Get a life … Expand your horizons. School isn’t the be all and end all of life. It matters a lot, yes. Except young people need to find their way in the world by discovering who they are, and experiencing new opportunities. Pursuing activities beyond the school gates is a fantastic way to do just that! Building friendship groups, developing different perspectives, trying out new things are a top-notch way to boost self-esteem. Who knows… Outside interests could lead to a career one day!
Fast-track your way to confidence
When it comes to subject confidence, that’s our forte. With a top tutor team across local Manchester and Cheshire areas, plus online without geographical limits, we have private tutors ready and waiting to help raise your child’s confidence.
Just get in touch here for an initial chat…
Tags: boost self-esteem, how to develop confidence, how to raise self-esteem