I’ve been reading about how important self-esteem is for kids, and I want to help boost my daughter’s confidence. I know positive reinforcement is supposed to be good, but I’m not sure exactly how to use it. Anyone have tips or methods that have worked well? Looking for practical ideas I can try at home. Thanks!
I remember when my kids were younger, we started a ‘Caught Being Awesome’ jar. Anytime we noticed them doing something good, we’d write it on a slip of paper and put it in the jar. At dinner, we’d read a few out loud. It was simple, but the kids loved it.
Another thing that worked well was giving them choices. Even small ones, like picking which chore to do first or what veggie to have with dinner. It helped them feel more in control and boosted their confidence in decision-making.
As they got older, we started asking for their input on family decisions. It could be something as simple as where to go for dinner or what movie to watch. Seeing that we valued their opinions really seemed to boost their self-esteem.
These little things added up over time. It wasn’t always perfect, but we saw our kids become more confident and willing to try new things. 
At our house, we’ve turned chores into a game called ‘Beat the Clock.’ My daughter sets a timer and races to finish tasks before it goes off. It’s amazing how excited she gets about folding laundry now! We also started a ‘Good Deed Jar’ where she adds a marble each time she helps without being asked. When it’s full, we do a fun family activity. These little tweaks have made a big difference in her attitude and confidence around helping out.
I’m still learning how to boost my child’s self-esteem. We started a small chore chart where she gets stickers for helping out. She loves peeling off the stickers and putting them on the chart herself.
I try to notice when she puts in effort, even if the result isn’t perfect. Like when she tries to make her bed - it’s lumpy, but she did it on her own.
I’m curious how other parents handle praise. Do you focus more on the effort or the outcome? And how do you keep positive reinforcement feeling genuine rather than forced?
I’ve found that creating a ‘brag board’ in our kitchen has been great for boosting my kids’ confidence. We put up their artwork, good grades, or notes about kind things they’ve done.
They love seeing their accomplishments displayed and often point them out to visitors. It’s become a fun family activity to decide what goes up each week.
Another thing that’s worked well is having special one-on-one time with each child. Even just 15 minutes of undivided attention doing something they choose seems to make them feel really valued and important.
These little things have made a big difference in how confident and positive my kids are day-to-day.
I noticed praising effort over results helped my kids. Just saying ‘You worked hard on that’ seemed to make a difference.
Also giving them small responsibilities and acknowledging when they follow through built confidence over time.