Building Confidence in Kids
Building confidence in kids and self worth is important in their development. It can help your child feel good about themselves and it can also be a motivating factor when children feel down or taking on new challenges. That’s why family portraits are so important to children. This article will explore ways photos boost your child’s confidence, and how you should go about taking them!
In 1975, a group of fourth graders from Tennessee participated in the Tulane University’s Murfreesboro Study. They were given an instant camera and had to take pictures of themselves for 5 weeks with various poses, compositions, and expressions as assigned by their teachers. At the end of those five weeks, they created scrapbooks out of all their polaroid’s; that showed significant improvement in self confidence over 37%.
1. There are several ways that professional photography can help build confidence in your child
Cleveland licensed psychiatrist Dr. David Krauss has a lot to say about family photography. According to him, it develop confidence for every child in two ways. He says, “illustrating the delight and joy that parents feel when encouraging your child to take part in having their picture taken is reassuring for them”. Additionally he goes on to say, “it also help your child know they are valued members of that child’s unit and associated with people they care about most” A professional photographer’s duty is to create a safe space a child feels thru portrait displays, and in turn, to encourage your child to feel more protected and confident.
2. Which is Better, Digital Images or Paper Prints When It Comes To Having The Greatest Positive Impact For Your Child?
Rather than print and display photographs, families are increasingly enjoying their images in a digital form, be it a mobile device, a laptop, or simply on social media. But does an image on a tablet, computer screen or social media site have the same impact for helping families boost a child’s confidence?
My bias is very simple: I think family photographs should be on the wall,” says Dr. Krauss.
“I am very conservative about self-esteem and I think placing portraits someplace in the home where the child gets to see it every day without having to turn on a device or browse around a virtual world to find it really hits home for that child’s sense of reassurance and comfort. They have a certainty about them and a protecting quality that nurtures a child. It lets them know where they are in the pecking order and that they are loved and cared for,” says Dr. Krauss.
3. The importance of printed kids photographs displayed in your living space was echoed by other experts.
“Displaying photos prominently in the home sends the message that our family and those in it are important to one another, we honor our time together, and memories we have experienced,” says Cathy Lander-Goldberg, a licensed clinical social worker and a professional photographer in St. Louis, Missouri and the director of Photo Explorations, which offers workshops to girls and women using portrait and journaling for self-reflection. Another article showed by challenging your child with the task of setting the table is a good example for them to role model with.
Additionally, Dr. Krauss recommends having photographs of that child with their family placed in the child’s bedroom so it can be among the last things they see before sleep and the first thing they may see before beginning their day. “It says we love you and care about you. You’re important.”
4. Family rituals strengthen the bond and give young children a sense of belonging.
Rituals are important too, because they build your relationships and give your child a sense of belonging. Taking evening walks together, gathering for dinner each day, playing a board game together, or just try new things together can all help strengthen kids bond.
It is proven that in families who display their kids photographs together as described by Dr. Krauss and other experts, children are more likely to have better behavior with higher self-esteem. Role modeling can boost your child’s confidence in the same way that rituals strengthen the kids bond.
5. Parenting a young child to build confidence and mental health
Newborns don’t really have self-esteem. That’s because they don’t yet see themselves as being their own person to busy learning new things. But you can still lay the foundations for healthy self-esteem thru caring for your baby by gently responding when your baby cries giving plenty of warm cuddles and smiles. This responsive parenting will let your child sense they’re loved. As your baby grows, they’ll start to develop a sense of self. They might smile more at you or hold out their arms for hugs and kisses. This shows them that they’re special and important to you. The first few years of life are crucial for developing positive mental health
6. Toddlers and school age children should be encouraged to take pride in their physical appearance
Younger kids are still very much into physical appearance, therefore you get more bang for the buck if you focus on their clothing than on their hair or jewelry. Pick out a nice warm sweater or hat, and get them to wear it every day. And when you pick up their dirty clothes, ask if they want help putting on some clean ones. Give them choices as much as possible: “Do you want pants or shorts today?” Don’t forget about hands and feet (and nails, too), because those are the things you see first.
7. Use praise and encouragement to boost self-esteem
Don’t make the mistake of thinking your child is too young for compliments or positive feedback. It works on babies, and it works just as well with toddlers, preschoolers, and school age kids. Try to catch them doing something they like to do, and tell them how you like it. Telling child how proud you are of them can build self confidence in their life.
There’s a difference between building your child’s self-esteem and letting it go unchecked. Don’t think “If I love my child enough, he won’t make mistakes.” Perfectionism is a big problem for many people today…
8. Show respect for others’ opinions by taking turns sharing ideas and listening to one another
One of the most important lessons you can teach your child is that everyone has a right to their own opinion. Admittedly, it can be hard to teach that lesson because kids feel frustrated with one another about what’s right and wrong. Your job is not to keep your child from having an opinion, but rather to let your child encourage them to listen and respect other children’s and adults opinions as well.
9. The goal of modeling ideal behavior should always be for the child to imitate and try it out for themselves
You can’t control what your child does, but you can provide examples of ideal behavior. For example, a little girl wants her dolly’s hair done up fancy (like her own), so Mommy suggests doing just that and even offers to do the ponytails herself. When little George wants to wear a tie and fancy shoes too, his parents point out how good he looks in the outfit. By doing this, you build children’s confidence by role modeling behavior and even appearance. These skills give child appropriate image to model and focus to practice these skills.
10. Encourage your child to participate in activities that help develop skills
Getting involved in sports, art, music or even cooking can really boost your child’s self worth. Being active is also one of the best way to build positive feelings about a child’s image as a person. And parents see value on how it help kids feel increased confidence and self worth leads to better health for both of you in this world. When mistakes happen ask your child questions to help focus them on a more appropriate outcome. Another good tips is to watch how the child interacts with his friends to encourage positive play.
11. Good habits start early in a kids life, so begin to teach your child good manners as early as possible
The earlier we teach our children the basics of manners and etiquette, the better chance they have to really learn to use in kids life. The positive impact on behavior is immediate, but it doesn’t stop at that. Good manners are one of the most important traits in any job or profession. Most companies look to hire employees with good manners because it shows that they’re considerate of the needs of others and well-spoken, which are both desirable qualities for a lot of employers.
12. While your child’s talking with you, draw their attention by using your body language
Research shows by using your body language to show interest while your child’s talking, like nodding, leaning in and making eye contact is good practice. This lets the person know that you’re listening to what they have to say. It also encourages your child to keep talking because they’ll want you to respond with more than a “yes” or “no.” Ultimately guiding child to build self interpersonal confidence by school age, and proud adolescent adults.
Professional Family photography isn’t just about taking a picture, it’s about creating memories. Our ancestors used these technics not only to capture the beauty of their family but also as a reminder that they were loved and cared for. What can be more important than those things?
With a professional family photographer, your child will be able to see that beauty in themselves through the work of another. That’s why it’s important for you to seek out the services of a professional photographer like Zesty Orange Photography by Olesya Redina. To see what our clients are saying and view galleries Click Here
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Building confidence in kids | Zesty Orange Photography by Olesya Redina
