10 Ways Parents Can Foster Confidence and Optimal Mental Health

Raising Confident Kids

Raising kids who are confident, feel good about themselves and enjoy good mental health is a goal of most parents. In some cases, our job as parents can go off without a hitch. In other cases, we have to work 100 times harder for lesser results. No matter how hard we are working as parents, it is always worth it. 

Lucky for us, there are a number of ways we can prioritize and promote confidence and mental wellness in our kids. 

Following are 10 Ways Parents Can Help Foster Optimal Mental Health 

• 1. Encourage positive self-talk and praise efforts. 
• 2. Teach problem-solving skills to tackle challenges.
• 3. Practice mindfulness and relaxation techniques together.
• 4. Offer emotional support and validate their feelings.
• 5. Help them reframe negative thoughts into more positive perspectives.
• 6. Create a supportive environment where open communication is encouraged, allowing them to express their thoughts and feelings without judgment.
• 7. Celebrate small victories and milestones to boost their confidence and motivation.
• 8. Foster a sense of resilience by teaching them how to bounce back from setbacks and learn from failures.
• 9. Encourage them to set realistic goals and break them down into manageable steps to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
• 10. Remind them that it's okay to ask for help when needed and that seeking support is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Click image above or go HERE to get our Motherlode of FREE Printables! 

A Healthy Mix

While I'd like to suggest you pick one idea a week on which to laser focus (and you can totally do this, if you wish), I know the daily grind requires that we move seamlessly between strategies. Flexibility in all things, and there is nothing else quite like parenting that requires it more!

Free Printable

Need a soft nudge to remember some of the ways you can help your child become more resilient?

I've put all of these ideas into an instant download that you can print and start using today! 

Click the image above or go HERE to get our Motherlode of FREE Printables!

Keep These Ideas Handy

Keep these ideas handy by putting the printable in this article somewhere you can reference it as often as needed. 

Need extra help with figuring out how to do any of the above? 

I'll be happy to expand on any of the notions above in a future article! Just reach out by hitting the "reply" button to any of our email newsletters (it's FREE) and you can join below!

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Until next time,

Wendy Young, LMSW, BCD, is  the founder of Kidlutions and co-author of BLOOM: 50 Things to Say, Think and Do with Anxious, Angry and Over-the-Top Kids, co-creator of BLOOM Brainsmarts, and creator of The Joyful Parent. She is the author of numerous workbooks and resources to help from the preschool through the teen years. 

Follow her on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! You can also find her @thetenacioustherapist on Instagram, where she helps other therapists create a life they love. She'd love to see your smiling face there! Affiliate links may be used in this post. Please see our full disclaimer, located at the top of our page for more information.