Afraid to try new things…

Many times our children (and ourselves) are afraid to try new things. Often it is because of a fear of failure. The chances of success are so dependent on the confidence with which we approach them.

Here’s a method that works well in building confidence.

Ask your child to name all the places where she has been successful. You join in, too. Name things first that were easy, that she wasn't afraid to tackle...then move on to things she did successfully but that she had to be a little braver to do......then things she had courage enough to try and master.

Include all kinds of things from riding a tricycle, to learning to brushing her own teeth, learning cursive handwriting, making her bed, swinging in the swing, multiplying, meeting a new neighbor,

Our kids forget how many, many things they have already mastered.

Another thing that helps in mastering new skills, etc. is to break the new skill or opportunity into smaller bite sizes. Letting the child see that a large obstacle is only accomplished one step at a time.

Works for me, too. I forget that I don’t have to do all the parenting in one day, just what’s needed for that particular day/hour/minute. Takes a bit of the overwhelming feelings away.