You are your child’s first role model. They will take many of their cues from you. Your influence can give your child a firm foundation of confidence, ability and self esteem.
As children develop interests of their own, it is important that parents support this. Not only does this keep the relationship between the parent and child a happy relationship, but it increases the child’s self esteem and helps them grow a sense of self. If a child feels unable to develop skills that they feel society wants, they will grow up feeling inferior to other people. If your child wants to learn to play a musical instrument, play a sport or take part in fundraising for charities, support this. When a child feels they are doing something good that society wants and needs, they feel more confident and able, and they feel they have a place in society.
Above all, be confident in your child. You are your child’s first role model. They will take many of their cues from you. Your influence can give your child a firm foundation of confidence, ability and self esteem. These are important traits for your child as they move through childhood and start to make friends. A child who has built up self esteem and confidence will be more choosey about who they make friends with, whereas children with low self esteem and confidence will fall into friendships, and some of these friendships may have a negative effect on their life.
A child who is confident and has a relationship with their parent that is built on trust will be able to talk to their parent about any issue that arises, whether that is cyberbullying or their first crush. The foundations in a confident and capable child are laid in childhood, and they are laid by you, the loving, trustworthy parent.
Catherine Hume is a social care worker specialising in mental health who also writes in her spare time. Some of her fiction can be found at http://catherinehume.wordpress.com.
