Greetings

Hello everyone, welcome to our March newsletter! As always, we provide an overview of what is happening within our childcare community. This month, we will focus on building self-confidence in children.

To young children, the world is full of new surprises at every corner. However, with most things being unknown and unpredictable, it can also make them feel scared and unsure of everything. While they may initially show courage and confidence, young children need to learn how to be self-confident not only in the face of uncertainty but also in themselves and their skills. 

Understanding the Importance of Self-Confidence

Self-confidence is not just a trait we hone in young children; it’s a vital skill and resource that empower them to navigate challenging situations, form new meaningful relationships, and explore the unknown through lifelong learning. A confident child is more likely to be open to new experiences, express themselves authentically, and learn more about themselves and their surroundings. Raising a self-confident child gives them the opportunity to have a resilient and emotionally healthy future.

1. Encourage a growth mindset

There is much learning and growing to do for a young child. Encouraging them and helping them understand that to learn and grow, they must learn how to try new things first. Regardless of the result, the experience gained and the effort they made matters more in the grand scheme of things. Treating past experiences, trials and errors, as stepping stones leads a child to have a positive view of themselves, their skills, self-efficacy and self-esteem, which leads to a confident child.

2. Promoting positive self-talk

How a child views themselves has an impact on their self-perception. A self-confident child sees themselves in a positive light while still being aware of their limitations. As a parent or caregiver, one needs to highlight to a child their strengths, reframing tricky situations into learning opportunities. This is also a great time to help a child retrain their negative self-talk with positive affirmations.

3. Celebrate achievements, big or small

Achievements, whether big or small, instil a sense of accomplishment in children. This boosts their self-efficacy, which then adds to a positive self-esteem and stronger confidence in their capabilities. That said, a positive environment must be cultivated wherein efforts are cheered on while successes are celebrated. This positive reinforcement places the merit on the effort of trying instead of simply relying on results as a basis for feeling accomplished.

4. Set realistic goals

While challenges may seem daunting, it can be easier for children to tackle it if broken down into smaller, manageable tasks. This helps children feel more ready to take on the challenge, and feel a bit of success, boosting their confidence every step of the way.

5. Create a supportive environment

A child that feels secure and supported also feels confident. Children must feel they are loved, accepted, and valued for who they are, and not for what they accomplish. Being an active listener, providing encouragement when needed, and creating a safe space for a child to air their fears and worries without judgement helps a child come out of their shy shell. 

Activities to Build Self-Confidence in Children

Children play to learn and they can also use it as a tool to build their self-confidence. Here are some activities you can incorporate into your daily routines for a self-confident child:

Role-playing

Role-playing activities help children put themselves into another person’s shoes, take on that role and discover other personas. This helps them express themselves creatively and imaginatively while taking on a different persona. Much like taking them out of their conscious selves, children can feel empowered as they examine various aspects of themselves through the lens of a character they portray.

Building blocks

Construction play not only helps children master their fine motor skills but also helps them feel accomplished as they bring to life their construction design. 

Storytelling and writing

A child has a rich inner world that might just need a bit of prodding to come out. Using storytelling and writing, children can experiment with expressing their inner thoughts and feelings more confidently. Actively listening and engaging with their stories and creations can foster a sense of pride in their accomplishments.

Team-oriented games

Engaging in a group game gives a child a chance to interact more with their peers and learn how to negotiate and socialise more effectively. It gives them an opportunity to test their voices, self-confidence and efforts in bringing success to their group. 

The Takeaway

Building self-confidence in children is not a one-and-done task. It requires parents and caregivers to come together and create a safe environment where children are encouraged to explore their surroundings and express themselves without a threat of being judged. Celebrating children’s efforts rather than just their successes helps children learn they are valued for who they are, not just what they accomplished. This instils self-confidence in their young minds of what they can and are able to do if they try. 

0-12 month development

Extreme heat can be risky during pregnancy. How to look after yourself and your baby

Authors: Adrienne Gordon, Camille Raynes-Greenow and Ollie Jay

As El Niño continues to ravage the country, extreme heatwaves become more frequent. This extreme heat can be detrimental to pregnant women, mothers, and infants. From decreased blood flow to the placenta and baby, meaning less nutrition and oxygen, to dehydration, these are just some of the ill side effects of extreme heat. 

Find out ways on how you can better protect yourself and your baby against extreme heatwaves here.

1-2 year development

Crib videos helped researchers determine the cause of sudden death in toddlers

Author: Arielle Tschinkel

Researchers may have found the cause for sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC) in toddlers. Researchers looked at video recordings of toddlers sleeping in their cribs and identified seizures as a possible reason for the unexplained deaths.  

Read more about the research findings and how the researchers their results here.

2-3 year development

Child Leashes Deserve All The Hate They Get, Experts Say

Author: Sara Novak 

Energetic toddlers simply have a seemingly limitless energy. They can rev up from 0 to 100 in nanoseconds that some parents have resorted to leashing their frenetic toddlers to keep them close and safe. However, researchers have cautioned that limiting their movement through leashes feels more like aggression and could hurt their self-esteem.

Learn more about how good parenting, preparation, and consistency can help you keep off leashes here.

3-4 year development

What to do if your child doesn’t want to go to school or preschool

Author: Victoria Owens

Having a hard time doing daycare or childcare drop-off? Experts say the key to a smoother drop-off starts way well ahead of the daycare or childcare doorstep. Providing warnings and reminders about their upcoming schedule of daycare or childcare helps a child prepare mentally for the new surroundings.   

Find more tips on how to have an easier daycare drop-off here.

4-5 year development

The pandemic limited children’s ability to socialise: here’s how to encourage your child’s friendships

Author: Caron Carter

Being told to stay indoors, social isolation was a huge blow to children and their developing friendships with peers. As the pandemic has waned, parents and teachers can help encourage their children to socialise once again and revive those friendships that stalled during the pandemic. 

Read on to find out how you can support your child’s friendships here.

How to Make an Articulated Hand (with Cool Movable Fingers)

Learn anatomy with some clever engineering and create an articulated hand that can make gestures through movable fingers. Using everyday items like straws, twine, and nail polish for added flair, children will learn how many bones are in their finger and recreate that for the movable fingers.

Find the instructions on how to make an articulated hand here.

Instant Ice Science Experiment for Kids

In this STEM experiment, children will discover the magic of matter and changing states in seconds. See matter change its state in a matter of seconds using a super cool and chilled water bottle. If you’re lucky, you might even see ice crystals.

Get the procedure for this cool ice experiment here.

How do Leaves Breathe?

In this experiment, children will see why trees and leaves are classified as living things by observing how leaves breathe. This simple STEM experiment will only need a bowl of water and a leaf freshly picked from a tree branch. Please note that leaves on the ground will not yield the same results.  

Read more on how to conduct this breathing leaf experiment here.

How to Make Bubbles With Homemade Bubble Solution

In this homemade bubble experiment, children will get to develop their measurement and observation skills. Children mix different bubble solutions and figure out which one makes the best, long-lasting bubbles. 

See 3 different bubble recipes here.