Nurture Your Child’s Confidence with Creativity

Giving young children a chance to be creative is a way to let children identify who they are, develop confidence and try new ideas.

“Encourage your children to be creative and let them know that it is acceptable to have different ideas,” says Silvana Clark, author of “Parent-Tested Ways to Grow Your Child’s Confidence” (Meadowbrook Press). “Your actions will leave a lasting impression.”

Clark also claims that, “Confidence doesn’t just appear in children. It has to be encouraged. One way to help your child develop confidence is though creativity.”

In her book, Clark offers 150 parent-tested ways to increase your child’s confidence. Here are some ideas she offers to increase confidence through creativity.

Martha Stewart’s parents brought her up with a “a hammer in one hand and a needle in the other.” Her parents encouraged her to decorate her room according to her own taste; the only catch was she had to make whatever she needed. Encourage your children to do the same. Teach them how to use fabric paint when decorating plain curtains, or show them how to frame a favorite drawing. They’ll feel proud of their accomplishments and more personally attached to their room.

Even though it was sometimes hard to tolerate, I let my children choose the color schemes and overall themes of their bedrooms. I must admit they got pretty creative! --Mother who enjoys plain white walls

Help your children understand their heritage by making a family tree together. You could use simple drawings with names, or you could include photographs and sketches. Even if you list only two or three generations, the family tree will instill a sense of belonging in your kids. The tree will also remind them of family members beyond their immediate world.

Our first son, Christopher, became a big brother after the birth of our second son, Michael. Chris struggled with the change for a while. Sometimes he would shout, “I’m nobody!” We would remind him of his cousins in Texas, his uncles in Fresno and San Francisco and the rest of his extended family. Chris eventually realized he was still Christopher — our son who had a big family to introduce his brother to. —-Steve Shively, conference center director

Use your computer’s screen saver to convey words and images of encouragement to your children. Import photographs of your kids as wallpaper, or write a loving message on the scrolling screen saver. If you don’t know how to do this, ask your children to teach you. They’ll be delighted to show off their computer skills.

I use the scrolling screen saver on our computer to send special notes to my son, including “Great Report Card!” “Happy Birthday!” “Number-One Soccer Player!” “I Love You!” and so on. He looks forward to seeing new messages as I change them. —Marie Meador, director, 4-H center

“Parent-Tested Ways to Grow Your Child’s Confidence,” which offers many more ways to increase your child’s self-esteem, is available at bookstores everywhere.