Take-Home - Self-Confidence - ECE Resource Hub

TAKE-HOME STRATEGY

Promoting Self-Confidence at Home

What It's About

Self-Confidence means believing you are capable – that you can do things and have good ideas. When your child feels confident in their abilities, they are more likely to try new things and to keep going when things get tough.

You can support your child’s Self-Confidence by encouraging them to try things on their own and to keep trying when things are challenging.

Here are some ways you can support Self-Confidence at home. Keep in mind that you can change these activities to work for you and your child, based on their current abilities, interests, and what you have available at home. Make sure to use safe materials and watch your child closely during these activities.

Take a look, and try out your favorites!

Explore Characters' Confidence

Read books and pause to talk about what the problems or challenges are. Point out how the characters believe in themselves and keep going even when things are tough. Do the same while pretending with dolls, stuffed animals, or puppets.

Set Up a Challenge

Set up small challenges for your child. These can be physical challenges such as crawling or climbing over something. Or, these can be challenges that involve problem-solving, such as having them figure out how to build a bridge using boxes or blocks.

Kids in the Kitchen

Choose a simple recipe and let your child help prepare it. As much as possible, let them add the ingredients, mix, stir, or fold! Point out how they are being helpful. For example, “You stirred the sauce. That was helpful! We are working together to make this meal!”

Let's Build It

Encourage your child to build different structures. They can use blocks (or boxes) or sticks and play dough. As they build, focus on effort and persistence by saying, “You keep trying different ways to do it.”

Share a Success

During dinner, bath, or bedtime, share something that happened during the day that was hard. Talk about how they got through it. For example, "It was hard to button your coat, but you kept trying, and you did it!"

Let's Create

Introduce different art materials that might take practice to use. For example, tape, liquid glue, or stickers. Let your child create art using the different materials. Look for ways that you can support them to do it as independently as possible (rather than doing it for them).

Quick Cues for Supporting Self-Care at Home

Some things you might do or say to help strengthen your child’s Self-Confidence

Point Out Your Self-Confidence

Model and describe how to handle challenges with confidence.

This can sound like:

“My tower fell down! I will try to build it again in a new way.”

“This puzzle is hard, but I’m sure I can figure it out if I keep trying.”

“Hmmm, I’m not sure how I’m going to make this all fit, but I’m confident I can figure it out if I keep trying!”

Support Ideas and Attempts

Include your child’s interests and ideas. Let them do things as independently as possible.

This can sound like:

“You’re holding on to the spoon by yourself!”

“What should we play outside?”

(Child struggles with shoe) “I’ll hold it steady, but you can slide your foot in. You can do it!”

Acknowledge Effort

Focus on your child’s effort in doing something rather than their perfection.

This can sound like:

“I see you’re trying to pick up that ball. You’re using both hands now to try again!”

“Wow, you are really trying hard to figure out where to put that puzzle piece! I see you keep turning it.”

“Your tower fell down, but you found a new way to build it again!”

Our Book Recommendations for Self-Confidence

Engaging stories that support children's Self-Confidence

I Can, Can You?

Written and photographed by Marjorie W. Pitzer, this book features children showing confidence and pride in their abilities.

Have fun with it:
Challenge your child to do something that may be tricky for them – like balancing or jumping on one foot!

Violet's Music

Written by Angela Johnson and illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith, this story follows Violet as she tries to find others who enjoy music as much as she does. Violet confidently marches to the beat of her own drum until she stumbles across some new music-loving friends just like her!

Have fun with it:
Ask your child questions about why and how we wash our hands and body.

More Take-Home Strategies

We’re creating a library of resources like these so families and other caregivers can quickly and easily promote children’s development at home. Be sure to see all the strategies we have available!