Helping Kids Trust Themselves
We hear about confidence all the time, especially when we’re talking about children and young people.
Be more confident. Believe in yourself. Don’t be afraid to speak up.
But confidence isn’t always something we can simply decide to have. For many people, especially when they are already feeling unsure of themselves, being told to “just be confident” can feel easier said than done.
Maybe confidence starts somewhere smaller.
It might look like a child raising their hand even though they’re worried about getting the answer wrong. A teenager walking into a new situation without knowing how it will go. A young person setting a boundary, trying again after failing, or finally asking someone for help.
These moments may not look particularly significant from the outside. But they are. We often think we need to feel confident before we try something. Yet so much confidence is built through trying itself. We try something uncomfortable, make a mistake, discover that we can handle it, and carry that experience with us. Next time, it may feel a little less scary. Confidence doesn’t mean always feeling sure of yourself. You can be nervous and still speak up. You can doubt yourself and still take a step forward. You can make a mistake and still know that the mistake does not define who you are.
Over time, these experiences can begin to change the way we see ourselves.
I can figure things out.
I can ask for help.
I can make mistakes and try again.
I can handle things that feel difficult.
I can trust myself a little more than I did before.
For children and young people, these small moments are important. Confidence doesn’t have to come from being the best, getting everything right, or never feeling afraid. It can come from having the opportunity to try, to struggle, to be supported, and to discover that they are more capable than they thought.
And maybe that is what growing confidence really looks like—not becoming someone who never doubts themselves, but becoming someone who knows that doubt doesn’t have to stop them.
Confidence takes time to grow, and there’s nothing wrong with that!
Jasmine
