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.

lots and lots of praise and encouragement even in the smallest of things, praise hopefully leads to pride and confidence.

Lots of praise for helping me around the house and little treats x

Harnessing their strengths and helping them achieve goals, whether it's through sport, dancing or writing. When a child understands they don't have to be the best at everything they do, they can relax and enjoy being a child. There's too much pressure placed on kids these days and by not adding to it you will see their confidence increase tenfold.

Lots and lots of praise and rewards

Loads of praise for everything they do well, or when they try something new. Praise the effort they put into everything rather then focusing on the end result.

Also encoraging them to praise and cheer for other children to show how we can celebrate everyones achievements, not making it competitive.

Allow them to help with things around the house, so they feel proud of being treated with respect and letting them know they make a positive contribution to the household.

Lots of encouragment while they are learning to do something and then as soon as they can do something stop doing it for them. Yes it takes longer and is messier but it means they become capable and practise does make perfect.

lots of saying well done you did that on your own, saying you cleaver person and taking an interest in what they are say and help them with ideas they can do.

We have always encouraged our little ones to tell us or show when they've done something they're proud of, we don't punish or shout from failure but take it as a valiant try and something the kids can learn from. We root for them and are always there to praise x

I think with small children it important to notice the little things that they do. Listen to them when they talk and share their stories, laugh with them when they are happy and empathise when things get tough. Tell them you can sort anything out for them no matter how big or small it may be. Remember that everything is relative and that a small problem to you may be huge to them.

For my younger children, giving lots of genuine praise, and really encouraging them in what they are doing- being hands on with them, on the floor playing and exclaiming at how well they have done something always gets the biggest smiles. My older DD 8 likes a bit more practical praise- going into the details of things she has done, and also letting her gain more independence and praising the results- even for something as simple as making herself a sandwich.

Praise is tops even when something is not quite there in our world where there's a will there's a way

When they are not happy with something they have done, we try to focus on how much it has improved over earlier efforts. So cooking/painting/school work - yes, it might not have come out exactly how you wanted it to, but just think about a year/month ago when you tried X. One of DS's teachers did this with him as part of telling him how well she thought he had done in overcoming some challenges "so, DS, let's think about how the DS of 12 months ago would have reacted to this setback?"

With DD, who always compares herself unfavourably with her big brother, I have occasionally resorted to finding pieces of his work/art/whatever at the same age to show her so that if she must compare herself it is at least to him at the same age. I would of course prefer that she didn't feel the need to compare at all, but her self confidence is definitely best described as "work in progress"

For little ones it is praising that is very best for them. We also clap our hands when she will do something that she normally wouldn't or don't want to at first. That work very well too.

Positive praise, taking little steps at a time, reinforce that it's ok to make mistakes and be worried and time. X

I see what other parents mean when they say that praising your child is good for boosting their confidence. however, i've seen so many spoilt kids in playgroups who're too arrogant and dont listen to anything an adult says to them.
My advice would be to encourage your kids to play with others. this way, they'll learn how to co-operate, will be able to share their thoughts and make decisions together. when a child is acknowledged and listened to by his/her peers then his or her social confidence will develop naturally. he or she will also be making friends easily and will do better at school.

You can never give too much praise and encouragement. And from as early an age as possible, too. Physical rewards (which are earned) are great. Be there to listen to what they have to say, console and motivate when things do not go too well. Be considerate and compassionate - restrict the need to raise your voice when they appear to do something 'wrong', instead explain in detail WHY what they've done is not acceptable, and ensure they understand.

And never forget, we were all bumbling/anxious/clueless/excitable/hyper/loud/quiet/immature/silly/troublesome/stubborn/over-dramatic children once.

Praise and 'well done' when your child has genuinely made an effort and tried hard - they're smart enough to see through fake compliments I think it is particularly important to praise the effort and achievements of disabled children like my DD who may not do as well at an activity as their non-disabled peers but still try hard to do their best.

Lots of love, praise and encouragement

Praise,love and loving discipline
Also letting them know that you make mistakes too!

Encourage them to be independent.
Don't expect perfection - praise when they've done well.

Lots of praise for when they do good and encourage them to do things they don't want to by helping them or doing it with them. If Iv had same problems when I was younger I tell my daughters and tell them what I did to cover come them.we also Try and think of people who have same problems from things she likes so say Disney Princess when we Watch films we will take and dicuss why they did what they did ect. Iv told my daughter any problems she has she can some to me and we will sort out what to do.my youngest only 1 so not at this stage yet.iv also told her to look out for her friends as well as its not always about winning either it's about taking part that count. My 3 year old very confident anyway and will do most things and my 1 year old seems be going same way but I do what I can to help them.think more me than them that needs the confidence lol

I agree with all the things above, praise, love encouragement but I also believe letting them make their own mistakes helps with confidence. Obviously I would never let my son do anything dangerous but if things are within his capability I won't hover in case he falls but encourage him that he can do it on his own and be there for him if things don't quite go to plan. Reassure him that he hasn't failed that sometimes it takes more than one try to get things right and not to give up.

My middle son was born confident - but his little sister has always been less so, and always in his shadow. She's 3 years younger, but very mature for her age. We have NEVER pushed her ... but encouraged and coaxed her to push herself. With the help from some older girls (who she admires) and younger girls (that she loves to nurture) we let her find her place. It's worth trying EVERYTHING with her in the hope that something will click. We don't scold - but we do praise for all the great things. It's when she achieves something that she didn't think she could do and that made her really nervous that we saw her shine and her confidence levels soared. Individuality and personal goals are key. Talk to your child and see what they want to do and what they want to achieve.

Let them know that you're there. Even if you ask them to do little things that might scare them or push them out of their comfort zone - knowing you are there should give them that little push!

Giving them choices from an early age, respecting their decision, looking out for the good to praise rather than only pointing out the bad.