Raising children is hard; especially when they won't speak up for themselves. Watch as Dr. Debra Pepler show's some techniques that can help your child in their social interactions and help bolster their self esteem.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPTS: How a parent can instill confidence in their child
It's really important to help your child become confident and assertive.
Some children are born with a personality where they have a lot of confidence in going out in the world and doing things.
For other children it really requires a lot of encouragement from parents. These children may be anxious, so it's important to help them do things that they might not quite be comfortable with, but you know they can do it.
But beyond that, it's really helpful to ensure that your child's special skills are celebrated. Maybe your child is wonderful at art, or music, or getting along with people, or computers or videogames. Anything that your child does well is worth celebrating and helping your child further develop those skills, so that they have some domain, some skill that they're really confident about, and that then can spill over to other parts of their lives.
And sometimes it's really important, especially for children who've been victimized, to help teachers understand those special skills and competencies that your child has.
- Encourage your child to pursue their interests
- Communicate with your child's teacher about your child's abilities
Debra J. Pepler, Ph.D, C.Psych, Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology, York University