Tips for Building Confidence in Your Kids

06/09/2018 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

Whether your kids turn out to be naturally shy or outgoing, you have a big role to play in developing their confidence and making them feel like they can take on the world. Of course, everyone’s approach to parenting varies, but there are a few universal tips which we are going to discuss in this article. Both your words and actions can end up making a big difference, so we are going to talk through a few different points in this blog post which should spark off some creativity in the parenting approaches that you choose to take.

Demonstrate Love to Your Child

The basis of confidence is often formed on love. If you can demonstrate to your child on a regular basis that you love them regardless of who they turn out to be, this can end up giving them a great boost of self-esteem and assurance. Your child needs to feel accepted by you, but you can also encourage siblings to show this same level of affection, as well as helping your kids to form close connections with friends. Though it may be difficult to show a focused level of affection to your kids for an extended period of time, you should try to listen to them as much as possible, encourage them in their pursuits, and show support of their ideas.

Give Praise When it is Due

Kids of all age crave the approval of their parents, but this is especially true in younger children. This doesn’t mean that you should simply offer them a pat on the back no matter what they have done, but if you offer praise appropriately, they should start to feel confident in their achievements. Of course, it is also important to instill the values of hard work and practice in improving their talents. After all, the world is not going to be as kind in offering praise no matter what they do.

Help Your Child Set Realistic Goals

One of the great pleasure in life for adults is achieving goals which they have set for themselves. You can give kids their first taste of this feeling by helping them to set and achieve some goals for themselves. Of course, you also need to make sure that they are realistic as this can easily get disheartening if not. With younger children, the goals should be short-term as they are less likely to have the patience and fortitude to achieve them. However, over time and with age, you can support them in achieving feats which are bigger and more complex.

Give Your Kids Independence

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One of the biggest steps in helping your kids to grow up into well-adjusted and confident adults is by giving them independence and gradually building this up over time. It may start out with giving them the opportunity to choose their own clothes from the likes of Nickis, but over time, you will want to allow them to go out on their own around the local neighborhood and beyond. Giving this independence is harder is the age of 24-hour news when you are brought so many negative news stories from around the world, but it is important that you allow your kids to take steps towards independence when the time is right.

Teach Resilience

As we mentioned earlier on, life is not always going to be plain sailing and there are bound to be setbacks and complications. It is how you respond to these that can end up making or breaking you. So, kids need to have these values of resilience instilled in them from a young age. You want to encourage them not to dwell on their failures and disappointments, but rather learn from them and come out the other side stronger. Try to help them with the steps of what they can do differently next time to improve their results and enjoy a more successful outcome to their problem.

Encourage Them in Their Pursuits and Hobbies

Another way that kids can gain confidence is through their outside pursuits and hobbies. First of all, you need to play a role in helping them to find their passions. Then, you need to encourage them to pursue these by enrolling them in classes, transporting them around and buying them the equipment that they need. It is a good idea for them to have both creative and fitness-based hobbies so that they learn to become well-rounded people who have a range of different interests. Even if their interests aren’t the same as yours, it is still important that you encourage them all the same.

Be Consistent in Your Parenting

A consistent and stable home life is one of the keys of encouraging your kids to be confident in the future. When your kids know the rules and boundaries, they know how they can and can’t acceptably behave. Essentially, you need to find a balance in giving them the freedom in their pursuits, while also reinforcing that there are certain consistent boundaries that they have to adhere to. As children get older, you may afford them the chance to have more input in their rules and restrictions, but you should still retain control in being their parent rather than trying to be their best friend.

Encourage Adventure and Discovery

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Even though rules are important, this doesn’t mean that you should rigidly control every part of your kids’ lives. You also need to allow them the freedom to develop a sense of adventure and joy in discovery. With younger kids, you may need to have a bigger role supervising from the sidelines. Day trips, vacations, the pursuit of hobbies, reading…these are all ways that kids can become more curious and adventurous.

Building confidence in your kids is something that you will keep doing for them throughout their childhood, and even into their adult lives. These are just a few of the best ways that you can achieve this.

Life, Parenting

Fun Things You Can Do With Your Kids On The Beach

06/08/2018 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

beach, family vacation, trip, travel, kids — Picture

Whether it feels like it or not, summer is right around the corner, which means that you’re probably in the process of planning a trip to the beach. After all, there are few things better than relaxing on a blanket of warm sand and dozing your troubles away. Of course, beach trips can quickly turn sour and be cut short if your children aren’t entertained, so it’s important that you plan a few fun activities to keep them busy throughout the day. If you’re stuck for ideas, then keep reading for four great ones.

Create Beach Art

Building sandcastles is definitely fun, but it’s an activity that will only keep your kids busy for so long. If you want to prevent them from getting bored, then you need to think of something bigger. This is where beach art comes in. All you need to do is get to the beach as early as can and send your kids out hunting for cool and colorful objects to make pictures with. You could also challenge them to create sand sculptures, or get them to draw on rocks and shells.

Drive Dune Buggies

If your child is somewhat of a daredevil, then you might want to get them their own dune buggy and bring it with you when you go to the beach. If you’re not sure what dune buggy to buy your child, then you can visit Kids Ride Wild for some advice. A dune buggy will provide them with hours of fun during your day out, and is something they can also ride at off-road tracks closer to home. Many buggies have two seats, so your kids can share this hobby and have fun together.

Play Sand Pictionary

If you’re familiar with the game Pictionary, then you can probably guess what sand Pictionary is. All you need to do is pick a card with a word on, like fish or firework, and then draw this picture in the sand where you’re sitting. Your family will have to try and guess what it is that you’re drawing, and when someone guesses correctly, they get a turn. You could also play tic-tac-toe, by drawing the grid, Xs, and Os in the sand, like with Pictionary.

Ride Boogie Boards

Boogie boards can be bought from shops all along the beachfront, so pop in a few and get one for each member of your family. They’re relatively cheap but are a lot of fun, and you and your kids can spend hours trying to ride the waves on them. You could even have a competition to see who can balance on their boogie board the longest, by lining up along the end of the water and standing on your boards. To make it extra difficult, you could face away from the waves.

Going to the beach can be a lot of fun, but only if you’ve got fun things to do. Hopefully, your kids will enjoy the activities above, so you don’t have to cut your day out short.

Life, Parenting

4 Things No Parent Is Prepared For

06/07/2018 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

It doesn’t matter how much you love your child.
It doesn’t matter how many parenting books you’ve read.
It doesn’t matter how often you’ve told yourself you wouldn’t make the same mistakes than other parents make.

There are many parenting situations that nobody is prepared for. These situations can be challenging. They can push you to your limits. They can get you outside of your comfort zone. More importantly, they test you, sometimes in the most brutal way. Nobody is born a parent. But while most people have expectations of what it would be like to have a child and of how they will help their children to explore the world, real life can be full of surprises. If you and your partner are expecting a child, these are some of the most unexpected challenges that you might need to face. There is no right or wrong answer. But here is, in 5 examples, the heartbreaking truth that no parent wants to talk about.

Are you ready for the challenges of parenthood?

Challenging health conditions at birth

When you have a child, you expect that your son or your daughter will outlive you. It is the way things should work. So, it can be devastating for many parents to discover that their child was born with a health condition that can significantly reduce their life expectancy. Unfortunately, there is no answer to the typical question: What do I do now? Some parents choose to fight to give their child the best chances in life, such as the parents of Alfie Evans, the little
boy born in the UK with a fatal disease. The toddler was kept alive by artificial ventilation for the best part of his life and the family spent a lot of time researching legal options to give time for his condition to improve. Unfortunately, when it was clear that Alfie couldn’t be saved by medicine, the parents lost their legal battle and their son died. This
soul-breaking experience is one of many parents. Parents of a baby born with Edwards syndrome often face the pain of losing their child within a few days after the birth. In this condition, like in Alfie’s case, it is unfortunately advisable to take no measure to sustain the life of the child due to their medical abnormalities.

Troubling and unexpected allergies

Not all medical conditions have dramatic consequences. A baby that is born with an allergy can enjoy life normally. However, it is essential that parents remain attentive to signs of troubles or negative reactions to external factors. For instance, a baby who is allergic to baby formula might be often sick after their feeding time and may express
discomfort through crying during the digestion period or showing a skin reaction. Allergic reactions can be difficult to
spot if there is no history of allergy in your family! Additionally, allergies can lead to terrifying reactions in a newborn
from vomiting to purulent rashes.

Difficult behaviors

Babies, when they grow up a little and reach toddler’s age, can begin to interact with their surrounding in highly emotional ways, such as throwing a tantrum when they are displeased with events. While tantrums are a perfectly
normal phase of parenting, it can be challenging at the best of times. After all, a lot of parents can feel at a loss when
their child misbehaves so severely that it causes a strain on familial relationships. Tantrums are not acceptable and
need to be targeted effectively. But could there be a medical condition that can explain your child’s reaction? Kids who suffer from ADHD or anxiety are more likely to throw terrible tantrums, for instance. Additionally, if you’re too worried about the attention that your child’s behavior brings to be a responsible parent – aka, if you give in at the first tantrum to get your peace back – aka, you might encourage negative behavior.

Does your child behave?

Troubles at school

Finally, when your child goes to school, most parents hope that their kid will bring back straight As within a few weeks. Unfortunately, kids who struggle with maths, or reading are not uncommon. Some troubles can appear as early as during the third grade. Don’t be harsh with your child. Instead, take the time to address their issues as early and in-depth as possible. Learning disabilities do exist, and when treated effectively, they don’t need to be an
obstacle. Indeed, dyslexia, dyscalculia and concentration disorders can be identified, so that your child can receive the support they need. Ultimately, there is no need to make a child feel stupid when they are struggle with learning difficulties!

Becoming a parent is a challenging experience. You need to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally for a variety
of stressful situations. Remember that a good parent is someone who can accept their child as they are. You’ll never be alone through difficult times.