How Making This Change Can Help Boost Your Children’s Confidence

“You learned that so quickly! You’re so smart!”

“Wow, you scored so well on your test without even studying!”

“You are so talented in basketball; you are bound to be selected for the next round of competition.”

“You’re a genius for solving that problem!

Chances you have heard these coming from the mouths of well-meaning parents who meant them as supportive and encouraging messages to their children but listen more carefully, and you will hear another message.

“If I don’t learn something quickly, I’m not smart.”

“I better quit studying or they won’t think I’m brilliant anymore.”

“If I don’t make the basketball school team, there must be something wrong with me.”

Results from seven experiments with hundreds of children have shown that praising children’s intelligence harms their motivation, and it harms their performance.

It turns out that when children are praised for their intelligence, they become more concerned with looking smart and clever, instead of actually learning. This revelation has been a real game-changer in the world of parenting and education! It has made us realize that we should be focusing on praising effort instead of praising intelligence. That way, we can encourage children to take risks and accept failures as part of the learning process. This is key to helping children grow and thrive, as it enables them to develop creative problem-solving skills, increase self-confidence and develop resilience.

It is no secret that parents want their children to be successful in life. However, success does not just mean good grades or high test scores. It also means having the confidence and resilience to face any challenge that life throws at them. This is why it is so important for parents to help their children develop a healthy mindset that will set them up for success in the long run. Parents think that they can give their children permanent confidence by praising their intelligence and talent.

‍As a parent, it is natural for us to want the best for our children. We want them to be successful in school, excel in their sports, make friends easily and be confident in themselves. But it’s not always easy to help our children build their self-confidence. It’s a long journey and one that needs to be taken step by step. In this article, we’ll explore how a growth mindset can help boost your children’s confidence. We’ll also look at why praising effort is better than praising results, and why it’s important to create a home environment that encourages growth.

The Growth Mindset – How It Can Help Boost Confidence

One of the most important things that parents of primary, and secondary school children in Singapore should focus on is helping their child develop a growth mindset. This means encouraging them to focus on the process of learning and improving, rather than on the grade or result.

A growth mindset is beneficial for children for several reasons. Firstly, it helps build resilience. When children learn to focus on the process and not the outcome, they learn to take failures in their stride and develop strategies to succeed. Secondly, it helps them to take more risks. When children know that they won’t be judged or criticised for their efforts, they are more likely to try new things and push themselves further. This helps them to develop a sense of self-efficacy or the belief that they can achieve their goals. Finally, a growth mindset helps children to focus on the journey and to enjoy learning.

To help children develop a growth mindset, parents should focus on praising effort and progress, rather than on results. This helps children to focus on learning and improving, rather than on the end result. Parents should also focus on teaching their children the importance of hard work and dedication. This helps children to understand that success does not come easy and that they need to put in the effort to reach their goals. Finally, parents should encourage their children to take risks and try new things. This helps children to develop a sense of confidence in their ability to try new things and to learn from their failures.

Why Praising Effort is Better Than Praising Results

When it comes to helping children develop self-confidence, parents need to focus on praising effort and progress, rather than results. This is because focusing on results can lead to children feeling like failures if they don’t achieve the desired outcome. For example, if a child is preparing for the PSLE or ‘O’-Level exams, focusing on their results can lead to them feeling like a failure if they don’t do as well as they hoped.

By praising effort, parents can help children to focus on the process of learning and improving, rather than on the end result. When children are praised for their effort and progress, they learn to appreciate the process of learning and developing their skills. This helps them to develop resilience and to understand that failure is part of the learning process. It also helps them to develop a sense of self-efficacy and to believe in their ability to succeed.

When praising their children, parents should focus on praising specific actions, rather than results. For example, rather than praising their child for getting good grades, they should praise them for their hard work, dedication and focus. By praising children for their efforts, parents can help them to develop a growth mindset, and to focus on improving and learning.

Why It’s Important to Create a Home Environment That Encourages Growth

To help children develop self-confidence, parents need to create a home environment that encourages growth. This means creating an environment where children can take risks and make mistakes without fear of judgment or criticism. It also means creating a space where children can learn and grow, and feel safe and supported.

Creating a supportive home environment starts with parents modelling the behaviour they want their children to emulate. Parents should lead by example and strive to create an environment that is free of judgement and criticism. They should also strive to create an environment where children are encouraged to explore and take risks, and where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities.

In addition to modelling the behaviour they want their children to emulate, parents should also create a space where children feel safe and supported. This means creating an environment where children are given space to express themselves and explore their interests without fear of judgment or criticism. Parents should also strive to create an environment where children feel comfortable talking about their feelings and experiences, and where they feel safe in seeking advice and guidance.

Conclusion

In conclusion, helping children develop self-confidence is an important task for parents. It’s a long journey and one that needs to be taken step by step. One of the most important things that parents of primary and secondary school children in Singapore should focus on is helping their child develop a growth mindset. This means encouraging them to focus on the process of learning and improving, rather than on the grade or result.

Teaching our children the importance of hard work and dedication, and creating a home environment that encourages growth, is crucial. Finally, we should strive to create a supportive home environment where children feel safe and supported.

By following the tips outlined in this article, we, as parents can help our children develop confidence and resilience. This will help them to believe in their ability to succeed and reach their goals.