Raising Confident Kids the Montessori Way
It is quite common for parents to expect their children to develop self-esteem as they grow. In fact, one vital quality required for efficiently facing the challenges thrown by life and making the right choices it offers happens to be an individual’s self-esteem. Along with self-confidence, it is an essential component that enriches anyone’s life.
Role of Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence in an Individual’s Life
Having a great say on the development of not only academic and social calibers but also the emotional capabilities, a child’s self-esteem and how it is being developed play a vital role in its entire life. Montessori Method is greatly concerned with the connection between children’s self-esteem and development of the same.
Effective Ways to Develop Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem in Children
The following strategies help children to find and develop self-confidence on their own:
- Decision making must be encouraged: To be able to succeed in life, children must be capable of making smart decisions. Fostering the decision-making skill from the childhood itself is important in developing one’s future. It is better to inform a child why it needs to do something rather than just instructing it to do it. This enables the child to think and arrive at a decision on its own.
- Children’s emotions must be acknowledged: Dismissing a child’s emotions doesn’t help – however trivial it may appear, it is crucial that you treat all the emotions of a child as valid. Children’s emotional experiences are important- they are real. When allowed to express how he or she feels, the child feels secure and develops self- confidence.
- Kindness must be demonstrated: Helping others is the best way of feeling good about ourselves. Make it a point to ensure that your child cares for others – this leads to developing basic relationship skills. Strong relationships are essential for anybody’s well-being.
- Differences must be embraced: Every child is unique. A few children may even have peculiar habits and preferences – it is our duty not to force pre-determined things; we must allow them to pursue their own preferences. This enables children to have a strong sense of self.
- Offer Help but be strong: It is necessary to acknowledge children’s emotions but allowing them to throw temper tantrums is not good. If a child is in the middle of a meltdown, you may offer help to ensure that it feels secure and calms down. But everything must be within boundaries and according to rules. This makes the child understand the limits.
It is by staying close to children and allowing them to feel secure and develop the passion to try things on their own that they get the opportunity to grow naturally and with self-confidence.