Raising Self Confident Children Essay

By Suleiman G. Gathuo

Published: October 10, 2011

Raising Self Confident Successful Children

I. Introduction

             Raising self confident children to become successful, responsible and accountable adults in the future is the dream of every parent or guardian but is not an easy task and calls for total devotion. This is a very essential duty that makes major contributions to the positive development of our community and though it is a challenging task to the parents, it can be achieved. After this session, all of you will agree with me that this is something that can be easily achieved if the things I will mention here will be carried out. The Supporting Points to carry out this session are; Encourage your kids to dream big, Give them rewards and compliments for good job and punishment for bad behavior and lastly Guide them in making decisions, instill in them positive thinking and nurture their special interest. The reason why am confident as I stand before you to address this very crucial topic is based on the extensive research that I have conducted regarding this topic. In the course of this session, I am going to demonstrate that indeed it is possible to raise self confident children, if only we dedicated our time and effort to do it.

II. Review Body

A. 1st Supporting Point: Encourage Your Kids to Dream Big

It is very important that parents and guardians let their children to dream big and to fantasize on their future. One thing that you should note is that every grand idea begins with a dream. When a child dreams of doing a fulfilling job or task in the future and receives the necessary support and encouragement that is needed from the parents, inner confidence is achieved and they will live to see that the dream is actualized in the future (Biehl & Swets, 2007). A child can dream being the president of their country, or having a very brilliant career in the future and parents should ensure that these expectations are not perturbed. Showing doubts in the dreams of the child is the last thing that a parent should do because even if the child does not make to become the president of the county, they might end up being the presidents of their own companies (Carson & Cecil, 2005).

B. 2nd Supporting Point: Give the Children Rewards and Compliments for Good Job and Punishment for Bad Behavior

According to Allen & Williams, (1943), a psychologist, reward is defined as the behavior that follows a positive deed. Praise and rewards for a good deed can really do a lot in making positive reforms in the lives of the children. However, when it comes to handling of the teenagers, it is important to note that the parents should be careful in rewarding the children not to invoke a feeling of being treated as children (Dinkemeyer & Losoncy, 1996). 

In psychology, punishment is defined as ‘any aversive incentive that is carried out after a specific response with the intension of suppressing the response’. In this regard punishment can be anything that reduces the occurrence of a given behavior whether in the form of reprimand, physical pain, loss of tangibles, attention withdrawal and so on and these can be applied to ensure that the children are discouraged from getting involved in undesirable behavior. However parents should note that the sole purpose of punishment is to invoke fear on the child to ensure that the undesirable behavior does not occur again (Azoulay, 1999). 

C. 3rd Supporting Point- Guide Children in Making Decisions, Instill in them Positive Thinking and Nurture their Special Interest.

            Allowing children to make decisions regarding some occasions plays a major role in making them to be independent thinkers in future. One way of instilling this in them is, instead of asking the children what they need to do during the day, you should give them suggestions on the activities they might include in their list of activities during the day. This will encourage them to weigh their options as well as the problem solving tactics in their tender minds. In regard to assisting children to have a positive mind, it is very important to teach children on analyzing two sides of any situation that they face in their life. Every time the children are faced by a challenging situation, it is upon the parents to make the children see that they will actually make it through. To encourage them to see an opportunity of conquering in every challenge they face.

It has been proved that every time a child realizes that he or she is making some progress in their life, their confidence is boosted. When children assist parents in the various chores in the house, confidence becomes evident in the way they taught and one can notice this in their eyes. One of the advantages of encouraging children to engage in several activities is that the possibility of them developing a special interest in one is very high. Most people end up careers that they have no interest at all. This is because of lacking a good exposure in their tender age. Once the parents find a special niche, they should ensure that this is nurtured.

III. Conclusion

Raising self confident children to become successful, responsible and accountable adults in the future is the dream of every parent or guardian but is not an easy task and calls for total devotion. To ensure that this is successful, you as parents and guardians should; Encourage your kids to dream big, Give them rewards and compliments for good job and punishment for bad behavior and lastly Guide them in making decisions, instill in them positive thinking and nurture their special interest.

References

Allen, A. & Williams, E. (1943). The psychology of punishment: the new school    discipline.        Massachusetts: Allman & Son, Ltd.

Azoulay, D. (1999). Encouragement and Logical Consequences versus Rewards and Punishment: A Reexamination [Electronic Version]. Journal of Individual Psychology, 55(1), 91-99.

Biehl, B. & Swets, P. (2007). Dreaming Big: Energizing Yourself and Your Team with a Crystal Clear Life Dream. New York: Biblica.

Carson, B. & Cecil, M. (2005). Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence. New York:             Zondervan.

Dinkemeyer, D. & Losoncy, L. (1996). The skills of encouragement: Bringing out the best in yourself and others. Delray Beach, FL: St. Lucie Press.

Marshall, M. (1998). Empower-Rather Than Overpower [Electronic Version]. Teacher Magazine, 17(37), 32-36.