Some children are naturally confident and have no issues with talking to new people or making friends. However many children suffer from shyness and can find school life incredibly difficult. Fortunately, this is something that parents can help their children to overcome, using a few simple techniques.

Read on for some great tips from Mount House School on how you can help your child to successfully develop their confidence.

Set a good example

Parents should try to set a good example for their children by demonstrating effective social skills with others. Teach your child to say hello to others and offer help to those in need. It is also helpful to explain how to hold a conversation and stress the importance of listening to others when they are speaking.

Starting conversations with new people isn’t easy, even for adults. To help your child feel more confident about speaking to others, it can be useful to prepare a few conversation starters. These could include some really simple compliments or questions, such as ‘I like your hair’ or ‘would you like to share?’

Arrange playdates

School playgrounds can feel overwhelming for children because they are busy and loud. It can be helpful for quieter children if parents arrange a play date at home with some of their classmates. This can help your child to get to know the other children in a familiar setting, where they may feel more relaxed and confident.

Where possible, try to take a step back and allow your child to work out issues alone. Disputes with friends are common at school and learning how to resolve these issues alone is an important life-skill, which will grow their confidence.

Encourage independence

It is also important to allow your child to make their own choices. This will help to build confidence as your child takes responsibility for their own choices. To make things easier for you, give your child two options instead of giving them complete freedom! For example, when asking what they want for lunch, provide two choices and let them choose one.

You could also let your child help around the house to help boost their self-esteem. Children need opportunities to demonstrate their capabilities, so ask them to help you with cooking, setting the table and tidying up.

After school activities

Encourage your child to join after-school clubs or take up some extra-curricular activities, such as sports or drama. Extra-curricular activities are a great way to boost your child’s self-confidence. This is because they gain new skills, explore a new environment and meet new people. Your child may also have the opportunity to develop their communication, problem-solving and teamwork skills.