Share your tips for boosting confidence in small children for a chance to win a SIGNED copy of THE LION INSIDE plus a £100 JOHN LEWIS VOUCHER!

[SorchaMumsnet]

From the creator of the known and loved Bright Side lifestyle brand, Rachel Bright, and illustrator of Oi Frog!, Jim Field, comes a feel good rhyming story about one little mouse trying to make himself heard and discovering along the way that even the smallest of us can have the heart of a lion.

Perfect for fans of Giraffes Can't Dance, this stylish book from two contemporary stars really is something to shout about - it will make you laugh, cry and want to read it every bedtime.

Share your tips for boosting confidence in small children for a chance to win a signed copy of The Lion Inside plus a £100 John Lewis voucher!

This discussion is sponsored by Hachette and will close on 4 April when the winner will be posted on the thread.

Praise effort and allow them to make decisions for themselves. Plus give them the freedom to make 'mistakes' and not worry about them.

I use praise, but avoid empty praise. Be specific about what you are praising and why. Praising effort is as important as praising achievement.

It's also important to show children that it's ok to make mistakes, so don't be afraid to admit that as an adult, not everything you do is perfect/right.

Encourage them to be who they are - if they are creative be supportive, if they love science find them projects you can do together

My tip is called 'mirroring' - it means showing kids that you understand them, so for example saying to them "I understand how much this means to you/how much you want this thing" etc. It's about making them feel present in the world and, even if you can't give them what they want, knowing that they are being heard and their feelings matter. I think it makes a big difference to their self-esteem.

Praise and Encouragement are key, its also explaining that when they can't do something (i.e spell certain words or do certain sums) that it's not a huge issue and that over time things will fall into place.

Make em do it themselves

Lots of praising and encouraging them as they go along. Being a good listener helps a lot and maintains good communication with them. They will make their own choices but they need to know we are here to support them.

Try to make it a positive experience and always stop if they are not interested or in the mood. By making it fun and with no pressure they will be prepared to 'have a go' and take risks without fearing failure.

never raise your voice and give lots of encouragement and praising

Encourage them to believe in themselves and not to worry about what others think because they are unique as an individual. Give them praise for their achievements and rewards too. You can be anything if you really want to be so don't let others hold you back and most of all, treat them according to their age!

Always remember to praise when children get it wrong. It is important to focus on the fact they tried, & that they learn from it, so they have the confidence to try new things.

You can have such interesting conversations with small children, so my advice is to Listen and give them as much time as you can and praise them often.

give the child lots of encouragement and help if they get something wrong. try and explain why its wrong and tell them the right way.

I'm all for praising to give confidence but be careful in giving too much praise! When teaching my daughter to use the potty we praised her for reading the related books but most of all praised her when she achieved our goal. Job done...so to speak but she got rather attached to her achievements! We found her one day patting a Teatowel on her shoulder...low and behold there was a little treasure wrapped up inside!

Take them everywhere and expose them to all manner of things. Never push them but show them it is good to be curious about the world.

Lots of praise, smiles, and make time for them. Every evening we have snuggles and story time. Where we all snuggle up, chat about our day, share a book together. I tell them why I'm proud of them that day and a tuck them up on a positive note. No bedtime battles as its routine for them and they know their boundaries so can be confident within them.

Praise and positive parenting, no labels and lots of love, hugs and kisses!

Truly listening and taking them seriously.

Listening and talking is very important. Listening to their concerns, their achievements and their thoughts. Talking and reassuring them about things they are worried about, sharing their excitement and enthusiasm and letting them know that everybody feels worried/scared/confused sometimes.

Enabling them to make their own choices and feel listened to when they make them. Let them know it's okay to have their own opinion and that whilst this might differ from someone else's it is still equally as valid.

Praising them for things they do and encouraging them to try new things and give it a go and letting them know you'll love them regardless of how it works out.

praise and positivity to encourage and reward good behaviour

Give them plenty of choice-points through the day, this makes them feel heard and like they have some say in their lives.

Encouragement and praise and never criticise.

Praise praise and more praise. Also seeing others of a similar age do things helps

Actively listen to them and give lots of cuddles

I think its important to treat children in a positive, respectful way, praising them on their achievements and rewarding them on their successes.