Radio Commentary
Self-confidence enables young people to succeed in school.
But self-confidence can be difficult to acquire and very difficult to teach.
Parents can help nurture those skills and reap the rewards that result.
For
example, children can be taught to question some conventional wisdom. There
will always be those who say that something can’t be done. Help children
identify the difference between those who have real wisdom and those who are
just naysayers.
Emphasize
that practical knowledge is just as important as learned knowledge, because
knowledge lies at the heart of self-confidence. If students know how to do
something, they will be more confident in their abilities.
Remember
that persistence leads to success.
One of the most difficult things
for young people to learn is that it’s fine to fail, and that they can get back
up and try again.
Children
need to see that it’s acceptable to stand up for what they believe, even when
they’re unsuccessful or their stance is unpopular.
Find out
what your child is good at, and encourage it. Success breeds self-confidence.
In school,
children are required to take every subject, even those that are not their
strengths. Those courses can cause frustration. Few humans of any age can be
good at everything.
So be sure
to focus your encouragement on the things your children do well, and don’t
dwell overly on the areas where they might fall short, as long as you know they
are working hard to master the challenge.
Show them that
you believe they are successful. Knowing that YOU have confidence in them will
help their own self-confidence.
