Help! My Child Needs More Confidence

Here is your free report on how to help your child further develop their self-esteem (download PDF)

Does your child possess a healthy sense of self-confidence? Answer yes if your child makes friends easily, accepts leadership opportunities and displays a bright, positive attitude.

But if your child is timid, shy and passive, with few friends and little initiative, your child needs help now.

The problems start small, a child who can’t interact with his or her peers or won’t look an adult in the eye. As a child grows these problems do too and before long this child is the target of bullies, prone to peer pressure and withdrawn in the classroom. Kids like this are called painfully shy for good reason.

A child with self-confidence problems needs to improve his or her self-esteem. In this report, we’ll share some ideas on how this can be done.

First, let’s review the five common problems your child may encounter

1. Timid and shy

Children who are quiet and unassertive find it difficult to interact with both peers and adults. They can find themselves overlooked in both school and social settings.

It is difficult for such children to break out of their shell in order to build friendships and gain leadership skills, both essential qualities for personal development.

2. Loner, not a leader

Shyness and a lack of self-confidence force children onto the sidelines and away from the action.

Children who fail to participate in activities do not allow their skills to develop, further lowering their self-esteem and insecurity.

Leadership, in particular, is a quality that must be learned. Children who are not encouraged to build this skill lose out on this powerful opportunity.

3. Bully magnet

As a parent, there is nothing more agonizing than knowing your child is suffering from the emotional abuse of a bully.

If you too were bullied as a child, you know yourself that the scars can take a lifetime to heal.

Sadly, children who are quiet, shy and unassuming tend to get bullied. For such children, it is essential that they turn their attitude around and learn the steps they must take to avoid this problem.

4. Hesitant to try new things

Children can view new experiences as exciting challenges or as insurmountable barriers. It’s all in the attitude.

The fear of failure is a powerful deterrent to trying new things and gaining new skills. It contributes to feelings of low self-esteem.

If a child is easily overwhelmed, it’s important to introduce new concepts and experiences step by step.

5. Caves into peer pressure

Do you worry that your child might be saying “yes” when he or she should be saying “no?”

A child needs tremendous strength and good character to avoid the dangers and temptations that young people encounter in today’s society.

If you suspect your child is in with the wrong crowd, don’t wait until it is too late to help them build the character they need.

We have the solutions!

There are many ways of addressing the problems of insecurity and shyness. Our extensive work with kids of all ages tells us these methods are most effective:

Confidence

Every great success starts with one important factor — enough faith in yourself to get the job done.

With that firm foundation, truly anything is possible.

Building a child’s confidence is all about personal empowerment, giving them the chance to succeed and acknowledging that success.

From there, the sky’s the limit.

Attitude

Confidence that shows — that’s how we define a good attitude.

A bright smile, a firm handshake, a straight posture and a strong voice project confidence.

Peers and teachers take notice of children with a winning attitude. It is greatly important, therefore, to be friendly and helpful, both at home and at school.

Opportunity

We all want our children to become leaders. But how exactly can we get it done?

Helping around the house and volunteering in the community are some places to start. As they master tasks and chores, their responsibility will also grow.

Few of us are natural born leaders. It is a skill that must be learned through experience. The essential key then is to give a child the opportunity to become a leader.

Action Plan

It’s not very useful to tell a child to avoid a bully if you can’t tell the child how to do so.

Children need to understand there is a very specific course of action to be taken in dangerous situations.

Does your child know exactly what to do if he or she is being harassed by a bully? Do they know what to do if approached by a stranger?

If you have specific instructions, discuss them with your child on occasion. In cases like this, knowledge is indeed power.

Martial arts can help!

It’s one thing to hold the keys to helping your child build confidence. It’s another thing to start the motor and make it happen.

Many of these time-tested principles are difficult for parents to implement alone. They take time, effort and constant reinforcement.

Here’s where martial arts can help. The group dynamics, our positive approach, and our strong moral code help foster the skills that will last a lifetime.

Martial arts builds confidence

If your child is shy, it might be hard to imagine him or her putting on a uniform, stepping onto the mat and learning martial arts.

Martial arts instructors understand this fear and can turn such experiences into powerful lessons of empowerment.

Martial arts instructors undergo extensive training. They know how to build an excellent rapport by offering plenty of praise and encouragement.

It is their job to bring out the best in every child.

Martial arts deters bullies

Martial arts schools teach children exactly how to make the bullying stop — and it doesn’t involve fighting. Martial arts builds confidence.

Along with the martial arts skills, children learn how to deflect verbal and physical confrontation through role-playing exercises and guidelines.

Martial arts students learn how to be in control during such situations — on the playground, bullies get the message.

Martial arts is the right stuff

Confident, strong and happy — we all have a strong vision of how we want our children to turn out.

The decisions we make today have great bearing on our children’s futures. A child who is insecure today is susceptible to negative peer pressure in the future.

Martial arts provide positive experiences for children and offers tangible goals and rewards that help them stay focused.

Having strong, positive role models — from the instructors to the higher-ranking students — helps reinforce the values parents are working to teach at home.

We call it a black-belt attitude. It is both our goal and our code of conduct.

If you’d like to learn more about how martial arts can improve your child’s self-confidence, please contact us and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

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Access our other free reports by clicking on a link below:

Human Potential: How Parents Can Maximize It In Their Child

Life Lessons From Martial Arts Masters Newsletter

Say Yes To Discipline

Keys To A Healthy Weight

How Can I Get My Child To Focus

Five Criteria For Selecting An After School Program

The Five Reasons Why Martial Arts Is the Best Fitness Program For Adults

Overview Of Martial Arts Styles

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