Whether they are applying to the right schools, looking for a job, or trying to impress an employer, children of all ages must be able to present themselves in a way that makes them stand out.
Nothing can help your child more than being confident in their own skin and being comfortable with who they are as people. However, getting this message through to them is often easier said than done.
Why Is Your Child’s Self-Confidence Important?
Kids who are happy and confident about themselves are more willing to attempt new things. They’re more inclined to give it their all in whatever they do. They are proud of their abilities. Also, kids with high self-esteem have an easier time coping with challenges and setbacks.
Even if they fail at the first attempt, self-confidence encourages the kid to try again. Consequently, a self-confident kid is more likely to do better at school, at home, and with their peers.
On the other hand, a kid with low self-esteem is more likely to suffer the consequences of being self-conscious and the fear that society will not accept them. Some may even have to deal with mistreatment and bullying, perhaps because they find it difficult to speak up for themselves.
Coping with mistakes, loss, or failure can be overwhelming for them, such that they easily quit and may not make future attempts at achievement. Such a kid may need a confidence boost if at all they are to perform as effectively as possible.
With this being said, here are five strategies for giving your children the skills they need to shine in whatever life circumstance they may face.
Make it About Them
It can be easy to make everything about yourself but helping your kids learn how to present themselves in a way that will allow them to stand out starts with making it about them.
To do this, make sure they are comfortable with who they are by taking the time to get to know your children as people. Take them to events and activities that they enjoy and allow them to participate in activities and opportunities that they are passionate about. Reward them when they do good. You can treat them to new clothes and goodies from SSENSE’s Versace luxury collection to their wardrobe and make their life at home comfortable. Maybe even add-in a home decor for yourself?
Doing so will help you better understand who your children are as people and give you a greater depth of insight into how they might present themselves.
Make them Specialize in a Discipline Early
While going to a top college will help your children stand out in the eyes of employers, young people who have their sights set on a specific career can make themselves stand out from the rest of the pack by specializing in a discipline early on.
For example, teaching your children about stock investing from an early age significantly increases their chances of being successful investors in the future. They might end up being the next Warren Buffett.
Learning a Language
Someone bilingual or multilingual can always make themselves stand out, even if their second language skills are not perfect.
The trick to being good at learning languages is to start young, especially when you have the luxury of living in an area where many people speak the targeted language.
There are plenty of apps available to help children learn a second language, and learning more than one language at the same time is even possible. For what it’s worth, it is easier to master a language at an early age when the brain is still developing compared to learning one as an adult.
Recognize Their Passions Early
Perhaps your children have a strong desire to pursue a particular career or go into a specific field, for example, coding and programming.
The trick is finding the right passion and niche for them early on so that you can help them develop their goals and ambitions in such a way that will allow them to stand out from the rest.
For example, if your young daughter wants to be a spy when she grows up, find opportunities to get her involved in the field early on.
Doing so will help them stand out from children who may have similar interests and give your child plenty of skills they can use throughout their life. But how exactly do you identify your kid’s passion at an early age? Well, here are some tips to help you out.
● Observe Them:
In parenting, very few things are more important than giving your kids the attention they deserve. Paying attention to your kids as they grow is the best way to understand their challenges, concerns, and most importantly, their interests.
You can discover a lot by simply listening to them as they speak, watching them play, and monitoring their behavior. For instance, a child who’s always watching real estate design documentaries could be interested in engineering or a field like architecture.
● Allow Them to Try Out Different Things:
Discovering one’s passion isn’t an overnight occurrence. Especially at a young age, not so many people know what they want to do or become when they grow up. Unless your kid has shown strong interest in a particular field, it is good to let them explore and try out different things, from sports to debate clubs, concerts, music, and everything in between.
This way, it becomes easy for you and your kid to identify their talents or passion as they grow older.
● Ask Questions:
You could also use questions that provoke their thoughts to help unravel what your child is most passionate about. For instance, you could ask your child what fascinates him about his new weekend hobby activity.
If you’re an accountant or a college professor, you could also ask your child questions like, “Do you want to become like daddy when you grow up?” Once you discover your child’s talent or passion, don’t forget to encourage and support them to pursue their interests.
Be Humble
The most impressive people often recognize their place in the world and work hard to stand out. If your child focuses on learning something new, giving them the chance to fail (within reason) is an essential lesson they will take with them for life.
Helping your children understand themselves and who they are as people helps them feel comfortable in their skin, making it easier for them to present themselves confidently in the future.
Helping your children present themselves in the best way possible and stand out from the crowd is something that you should strive for throughout their entire life. Taking the time to do this early on will help them understand who they are as people, and it gives them a better idea about where they want to go in life.