Raising confident daughters: how to nurture self-esteem from a young age
Instilling strength and confidence in kids from a young age is one of the most impactful gifts you can give them. As parents, caregivers, and mentors, we play a pivotal role in shaping how children view themselves and their abilities. When young girls are surrounded by positive role models and empowered through defining growth experiences, they develop a lasting sense of self-worth. This blog explores actionable ways to nurture confidence in daughters from the early years, setting them on a path to becoming strong and capable.
Positive female role models
The foundation for high self-esteem begins with who your child is surrounded by. Children learn through imitation, especially when they’re young. It’s why leading by example and modeling the behavior you want your little ones to embody is crucial. When young girls have positive female role models that exemplify qualities of strength, resilience, and confidence (to name a few), it helps build a sense of belonging and pride in their own identity. Aside from leading by example yourself, providing regular opportunities for quality time with multiple generations of women like grandmothers, aunts, cousins, or close friends is a great way to instill confidence in daughters early on.
Reward effort instead of attributes
Parents have great influence over their children’s self-worth, both by what they do and by what they say. Especially for young girls, how you communicate with them can have a profound impact on their confidence. Girls given verbal affirmations that praise their effort, strategy, and persistence throughout childhood are more likely to have the confidence to take calculated risks and solve problems later on.
Focus on the effort behind a task rather than the outcome. For example, if your daughter struggles with a new skill, highlight the process: “I love how you kept trying even when it was tough!” This reinforces the idea that hard work and perseverance are more important than simply achieving perfection, and promotes a growth mindset, which is the belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. Children raised to embody a growth mindset are more likely to embrace failure as an opportunity to learn something new, rather than as a reflection of their own shortcomings. The same is true for when your child achieves something. Instead of saying ‘You’re so smart,’ say, ‘You did a great job.’ Over time, this simple practice encourages the willingness to try, a key leadership skill.
For young girls, it’s especially important to focus less on their physical appearance and more on things like their effort, creativity, empathy, health, and well-being. Mothers in particular have a huge impact on their daughters' body image. The language you use even when referring to your own body matters: emphasize the importance of being strong, healthy, and confident, rather than focusing on appearance and how things look. By focusing on effort and well-being, you’re helping your daughter build lasting confidence that goes beyond external attributes.
Provide skill-building opportunities
It’s important to give your children opportunities to try doing things on their own, and feel valued early on. It can be as simple as asking them to put their toys away, or allowing them to make small decisions like what they will eat for lunch. When repeated, these experiences foster a sense of responsibility and self-assurance. Equally important is providing age-appropriate activities that teach your child how to be successful at overcoming challenges. Regular participation in group activities like sports is a great option that can build their skills, as well as a lasting sense of accomplishment. It’s also an opportunity to learn leadership skills like problem solving, communication, and teamwork.
Allow them to make mistakes
Trying and failing at something is how we learn.This is especially true for young children, who are learning about themselves and the world for the very first time. Encourage your children to try new things, to be brave and open to facing potential challenges. And when they fail, teach them that it’s ok to make mistakes, as long as they learn from them and try again. This will not only encourage your child’s independence and confidence to function on their own, it will also teach them resilience and perseverance. All are essential leadership qualities, especially for young women in the making.
By actively creating a supportive, empowering environment, we can ensure that the next generation of women is ready to take on the world with confidence, resilience, and a belief in their own potential. For ideas on how to honor International Women’s Day, check out the ultimate guide for celebrating International Women’s Day with kids on the Parenting Tips blog.
At Doona, we’re always trying our very best to make parenting simpler for every family. Which is also why we’ve created our innovative and revolutionary Doona Car Seat and Stroller which transforms from a car seat to a stroller in the click of a button; and Liki Trike — the most compact folding toddler trike on the market that grows alongside toddlers with five modes of use.
