Parents want what’s best for her child, and sometimes we often go overboard with that notion that we become overprotective. Unfortunately, it’s that behavior that deters our children from preparing their selves in facing the world, which can be ugly sometimes.
For example, we do everything humanly possible to spare our kids from pain. It’s the reason why we often look for a kids’ dentist here in Salt Lake City that has the gentlest hands to spare our kids from the pain. But, sometimes overprotecting them can result in children who are too timid and we need to help our children to be braver.
So, if you want your child to be more courageous, here are a few tips you can try:
Be a role model
A parent is a child’s role model in life. Anything you do no matter how small and inconspicuous, your child will see it, and he will emulate it. So, it’s crucial that you be a good role model for him when it comes to bravery.
But, that doesn’t mean you always show your child that you are brave. In fact, you should even tell him what scares you because bravery isn’t about the absence of fear; bravery is about conquering your fear. So, be comfortable in confessing your fears to your child and tell him how you were able to beat it.
This way, your child will understand that brave people are courageous because even when they are afraid they chose to fight their fears rather than let it beat them.
Help him to try something new
Usually, what scares us the most are things that are unfamiliar to us or things we haven’t tried. It’s the same thing with children; they often fear things that are new to them. So, in order to build your child’s bravery, you should help him try something new.
Ask him if he wants to try something new like driving a go-kart or playing soccer or take up swimming lessons. Perhaps he’ll be hesitant at first, so you need to help convince him to try anything for the first time.
Tell him how fun it could be to learn how to swim and show him videos of kids having fun in a pool or adults playing water polo or doing dive bombs.
Tell him it’s okay if he fails
Another reason why some children are very fearful is that they’re afraid of making a mistake and disappointing their parents. You might not be aware of this, but your child will always seek your approval or praise, which is why they’re afraid to make a mistake because a parent’s disappointment is something too heavy for them to bear.
So, you should let your child know that if he tries something new, there’s a chance that he will fail at his first attempt. For example, if your child wants to try out for the Little League be supportive, but also let him know that even if he fails, it’s all right.
The lesson he should take with him is that he tried and that takes a lot of guts. So, if you want to help your child be more courageous, teach him that becoming braver is not like a power switch that he can turn on or off anytime. Tell him that it will take a lot of effort and time.
Tell him that he might fail sometimes, but it’s more important to try and try again. Because part of being brave is having the tenacity to get back on the saddle even if you’ve fallen off the horse several times.
