As a parent it can be hard to know how to build confidence in your child, especially when they live in a world that can make anyone feel self conscious. In todays post I’m going to share with you how I work on empowering my daughters and giving them the confidence they need to be themselves and absolutely thrive in everyday life.
Brought to you by DC Super Hero Girls
Confidence is a value that I think we would love our children to have. If a child lacks confidence then they are less likely to put themselves forward and will avoid opportunities to try new things. They are often scared of failing or disappointing others around them. As you can imagine, lacking confidence can really impact on a child and their future.
Last week, Possum (aged 5 years) started Auskick, which is a program that helps children develop skills in Aussie rules football. She was so very excited, but I became nervous when I quickly discovered that amongst 200 other young boys, she was the only girl.
The situation for her was unusual, but not for a moment did she hesitate to get involved. She had the confidence to put herself forward and just be herself.
How to build confidence in your child + giveaway
Let me share with you some quick tips so you learn how to build confidence in your child! I also have an amazing DC Super Hero action figure giveaway attached to the end of this post, so be sure to enter!
1. Appreciate any effort (big or small)
It doesn’t matter how big or small the effort your child gives, they should be made to feel like it was worthwhile and important. A child should never be embarrassed or have regrets for trying.
2. Encourage your child to practice
Praising your child with positive comments. Think about what their interests are and encourage them to build those skills. It’s important not to pressure a child too, but more support them with lots of encouragement.
3. Give them time
As parents we can be quick to jump to the rescue of our children, but it’s a good idea to give them time to problem solve and work it through themselves. Step back!
4. Don’t make excuses for your child
It might sound harsh, but it’s important that children feel that their parents have confidence in them. Special treatment or defending them unnecessarily can be communicated to a child as them not being capable.
5. Give them new experiences
It’s a wonderful idea to expose your child as many different experiences as you can. Giving them the opportunity to try something new tells them that no matter how scary or different something feels, they can work to overcome it.
6. Celebrate learning
Children will often look to their parents for guidance on how they should react to something, so show great excitement when your child learns something new and how good that can feel.
7. Be a good role model
Expressing parental confidence will inspire a child’s confidence, so demonstrate those moments that a little bit of confidence is needed in everyday life.
8. Be selective with what they are exposed to
Unfortunately we live in a time that children can be exposed to material that may not have such a positive impact on a child and their sense of self. As parents it’s important that we make good judgement and find things that empower our children and builds them up.
It came to my attention recently that Warner Bros. Consumer Products and Mattel had released a range of DC Super Hero Girl action figures! This excited me because these dolls have been designed to empower children, particularly girls, and inspire them to unleash their inner Super Hero. Not a plastic high heel to be seen.
DC Super Hero Girls
DC Super Hero Girls is an exciting new universe of Super Heroic storytelling that helps build character and confidence, and empowers children, especially girls, to discover their true potential. They have a focus on the female Super Heroes and Super-Villains of DC Comics.
These awesome DC Super Hero Girls action figures stand at 12″ tall and have their own ID card that highlights their amazing super power. Some of the powers that these empowering dolls have include –
- Super strength
- Flight
- Technology intelligence
- Detective skills
- X-Ray vision
- Quick wit and more!
These female action figures are certainly a favourite with my girls. They are constantly using them to zoom around the house shouting ‘to the rescue’ and putting their Super Powers to work. I love them because they are positive and focus on empowerment and confidence.
DC Super Hero Girls action figures have also been great for my girls to use during imaginative play and I can refer to their dolls in moments when I need to talk about various situations that my girls experience in real life.
Thanks to Warner Bros. Consumer Products, you have the chance to win 1 of 6 Mattel DC Super Hero Girls action figures. Batgirl, Poison Ivy, Super Girl, Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn and Starfire will be given away to SIX lucky winners.
TO ENTER : Competition now closed.
“What is your child’s Super Hero power?”
Terms and Conditions
- This giveaway is open to Australian Residents Only
- Competition concludes on Monday 22nd May, 2017 at 9am (AEDT)
- The six winners will receive one Mattel DC Super Hero Girls 12’’ action figures each. Winners may give a doll preference, and Porter Novelli Melbourne will do their best to meet these preferences
- The winner will be chosen based on originality and creativity of their comment
- Entrants will need to provide a valid email address
- Winners will be contacted via email. If you have not left a valid email address for me to contact them, someone else will be drawn instead. Winners will need to contact me and provide their postal address within 48 hours or the prize/samples will be reallocated.
The Mattel DC Super Hero Girls 12’’ dolls are available at all major retailers across Australia in-store and online. Check out Kmart, Myer, Target, Toys R Us and Big W if you are wanting to purchase these yourself. They make great gifts for kids too.
As well as that, the DC Super Hero Girls can also have their own app, a YouTube channel, Facebook page, Instagram account and super cool and interactive website. Be sure to check them out.
My child’s super hero power is to make me laugh no matter how I am feeling and to appreciate the small moments in life:)
Laughter is so important and to make people smile and laugh is a skill. Great answer Jennifer. Thanks for entering.
She is 5 and her super power is to see people equally. She doesn’t see race or gender or wealth or ability or age.
That’s so wonderful and we need more people like her in the world. Thanks for entering Natalie.
Lately, my youngest daughter’s Super Power would be overcoming her separation anxiety issues every day and going to school, even though she doesn’t want to.
I’m hoping she will overcome it in time, but she’s been super brave!
Thanks for sharing Michelle. Separation anxiety is tough. Hope she continues to show progress. Thanks for entering.
My daughter’s superpower is she somehow finds the positive in the hard times in life. She pushes on with positivity even when she is struggling.
Oh wow Kate, that’s so wonderful. How old is she? I think we need more of her in our world. Thanks for entering.
My daughter’s superpower is her confidence in her ability to do anything! She can climb rocks, stand up for herself, and loves flowers and horses.
How wonderful Nicole. How old is she? I love how you have described her. Thanks for entering the competition.
Miss Ally’s Super Hero Power is the power to be heard. She is always confident in voicing her opinions, needs and wants, now we just need to convince her to use her powers for good.
Hahaha Heather. This gave me a giggle. I’m sure she will take on the world. Good on her. LOL
Thanks for entering the competition. 🙂
My daughters are 2 and 4 and they are bilingual. That’s their super hero power.
Oh Anna, that’s SO AMAZING. What languages do they know? That is such a super power. Thanks for entering.
They can speak English and Polish 🙂
Oh wow, now that’s a huge skill. I wish that I was able to speak another language. Thanks for entering Anna. 🙂
I’m so proud of possum for participating and more importantly, having a great time at Auskick, good on her! I love your tips, especially allowing our kids to have new experiences and also not making excuses for them. Both of our big boys are a little shy when it comes to new people/activities so I’m always mindful of how I can navigate them through these situations. If I had to choose a superpower that they ALL seem to have, it would be the power to magically create a mess in no time at all!
Thank you for your lovely words Lauren. I’m glad some of the tips felt useful to you. Your super power is something I think all parents can relate to. Oh gee, totally! Hahaha Thanks for entering.
I’m often amazed by my daughter’s ability to get back up with a brave face when she falls over and hurts herself. I agree these are great dolls!
Oh my gosh, I totally agree with you Kate. It can be so hard to bounce back, but it’s so lovely that your daughter can do that. That’s wonderful.
What a beautiful post for confidence but I equally love these female action figures! Amazing!
Thank you Angela. I think they are so amazing too!
Great tips Kate! I;m sure these dolls will be a hit – I know my 5 year old will be begging for them when she sees them!
Thank you so kindly Carol. We are working on collecting them all. LOL
Having more than one child, I think it’s their own uniqueness that is their superpower. It’s such a delight as a parent to see them growing and shaping into themselves.
Absolutely. That is a super power in itself Kelly. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
I love that so many of these dolls are wearing pants!! It seems like such a small thing but my girls once looked at a ‘super girl’ dress up costume and said “How can she fly in that? Everyone will see her undies!” LOL
Exactly Kate! So great to see so much more variety in girl action figures. We are loving it! 🙂
My 7 year olds superpower is kindness. Although she does lack confidence and can get anxious at times, she is always kind to others, and her little sister.
That’s really beautiful Deaane and kindness is certainly something to be proud of. Thanks for entering.
My daughter’s superpower is definitely persistence! She may not be the quickest to master a new skill (especially a coordination skill), but she will practice and practice until she nails it! She practiced her hula hooping every single day for a month, and now, she can hula hoop with 3 hoops!
To learn how to skip with a skipping rope, she practices on our trampoline, so it allows her to time the rope turn – in one week she went from not being able to skip, to getting 10 bounces in a row!
What a wonderful super power Rachael. Your daughter sounds absolutely amazing. I love your examples too. Thanks for entering.
My child’s superpower is her cheeky smile that melts hearts faster than a speeding bullet and gets her out of sticky situations in a single grin.
Awwww she sounds absolutely amazing Jaz. Thank you so kindly for entering. Good luck!
Watching my daughter’s transformation into an advanced martial artist has been not unlike watching the origin stories of many of our favourite superheroes .
That’s wonderful Renata! Thanks for entering. 🙂
My daughters super power is the ability to bring me to tears watching her succeed at something she’s had a hard time with.
Also she likes to comment on other people when we’re out & about, nicely..ie “look at that ladies hair, its purple!! Isn’t it lovely!’.
Oh Pauline that is really beautiful. She sounds amazing. Thank you for entering. 🙂
I enjoyed reading your thoughts on building confidence–great strategies to empower young children!
I love superhero themes and dolls that represent courage, strength, and camaraderie. But I often wonder: how can we redirect young children who turn to ideas of aggression and fighting when playing superheroes? How can we encourage the positive aspects of such play?
SO thrilled you bring this up Camille. You raise a very good question. We can often hear of schools and child care centres banning superheroes because they feel it promotes fighting and violence. Research actually tells us the complete opposite is the case! 🙂
As I’m sure you are aware, play is such a vehicle for children to learn and develop. It is through play that children can test out the waters, experiment with different roles and behaviours, learn what is right and wrong, learn more about language, impulse control, overcoming adversity … and the list goes on. Superhero play, in my opinion, is quite important for children.
Ideally play should be independent and unrestricted, but the reality is that adults need to first set up the safe environment, set limits and monitor all forms of play, superhero play included. I believe superhero play is important because it teaches children some key understandings – Children learn more about the “good guys” and “bad guys”
– They recognise the difference between action play and aggression
– They learn how to deal with play when it crosses over the line to aggression
– It helps them learn about heroism and more about conflict resolution.
I think play needs to be supervised by adults to ensure no lines are crossed, but superhero play can certainly be very beneficial and worthwhile. Thanks again for your great question Camille.
Thank you! I will keep that in mind 🙂
Loving this range 🙂 great post Kate, I would be so proud of possum too. Good on her!!!
My little girl has many super powers (she tells me all the time as she runs around the house at lightening speed lol) so I would say her most powerful super traits would be her imagination and independence. She is only four and she is also wanting to cook, clean, pick out her own outfits & make up her own bed, she’s always wanting to help me and is always keen to try and to things on her own.
She is great at tying her imagination in at the same time and can make up wildly amusing games and stories that makes our days (and boring chores) more playful and fun…
Thank you Nae and I absolutely love how you have described your little girl. How gorgeous. Thanks for entering.
Nice post Kate…
When toilet 🚽 training my daughter at age 2 (note she could not read at this point) she gave me a sticker and smiled. That sticker said “patience.” I think that’s a pretty amazing super power 😎
She is now almost 6 and her sister 4 and it still amazes me that at certain times kids ‘somehow’ know exactly what to say or do.
In all honesty we already have some of these dolls and my girls love the superhero girls. We don’t have poison ivy though (which is my big girls current fave) so perhaps an ok time to contribute and share 😉
👊🏻 to girl power and confidence
Thank you so kindly for sharing Karol. I love what you say and totally agree. Sometimes my oldest comes up with the most wisest of comments too. So wonderful and I love that you are working on your collection of these action figures. 🙂 Thanks for entering.
I LOVE these comments from people!! Hmmm.. my son’s super power could be: his wonderful sense of humour. Sometimes he and I just laugh non stop, for no other reason than to laugh and make the other person laugh. It’s often how he likes to end the day, as he drifts off to sleep. That’s a super power in my mind!
Awwwwww Anna, that’s so adorable! I love that he is laughing right until the end of his day. Beautiful. Thanks for entering.
My daughter’s super power is a wicked sense of humour. She activates it with an eyeroll that goes the “full rainbow”. It’s so good to see that there are some truly awesome looking female superheroes!
I agree with you Kylie and I too think humour is a great superpower to have. Thanks for entering!!
My daughter super power is to make sure her bothers know she is batgirl. That batgirl can do anything and everything that she puts her heart into.
Oh that’s so awesome Chloe. I love that. Thanks for entering!
Lauren has the ability to decimate all food in her path (on her plate) and to wrap her Grandma around her finger but her true superpower is her resilience. No matter what happens she remains cheery and happy. If she falls or fails she persists and tries again.
Lauren sounds wonderful. Thank you so kindly for entering! 😀
My daughters superpower is resilience I’m in awe of how shy and not confident she was and she will persist in anything she does and try and try again till she gets it
Thanks for sharing Louisa, that so wonderful to hear how far she has come. Great to have your entry.
my childs super hero power is the power to make people smile. it never fails
How wonderful that superpower is. What a treasure. Thanks for entering Candace.
Everything growing and everything green,
My child’s super power is nature queen.
She weaves her magic with seed and sprout,
Is she a green thumb? There is no doubt.
Poison Ivy’s her favourite it’s not hard to tell,
She wants to be strong like Poison Ivy as well.
SO clever Penny. I love that she loves nature and wants to be strong like Poison Ivy. Thanks for entering.
My Grandaughters super power is to be bright and bubbly just like her mother was . She has so much confidence and always happy it really has helped her when she had to move schools and meet new friends
Oh that’s so beautiful Yvonne. It is hard to be young and have confidence in a big world. Thanks for entering.
My beautiful girl has the ability to sense when people need help. Whether she sees a car broken down on the side of the road and makes her father stop to help, or sees an older person struggling with a bag and helps herself. She’s only 5 but she is always trying to help people around her.
Rebecca that is so beautiful and we need more like her. Thank you for entering.
My child’s super power is being able to always put a smile on people’s faces and to help others
What a great power Inga! Thank you for entering.
My child’s super power is kindness. In a world that is harsh and judgmental, a little kindness goes a long way. He has buckets of it and will help anyone. At Christmas he donated his pocket money to Sirian children to have clothes.
He has recently become a big brother and is so proud of his little sister. We decorated her room with wonder woman because he wanted her to save the world like he wants to.
That totally melts my heart Laura. Thank you for sharing and entering this competition.
My daughters super power is to make people smile 😊😊😊
She always knows what to say or do when people are sad and feeling down. Such a sweetie 💖
That’s so adorable Kathryn and a really lovely quality to have. Thanks for entering. Good luck!
My child’s super hero power is his imagination. I don’t know where he comes up with most of it. He can make bridges and tunnels out of anything, the lounge and several boxes became a train. I always love seeing where his imagination takes him.
That’s so wonderful Candice. It’s beautiful and you so clearly encourage his great imagination too. Thanks for entering.
My girls’ super power are the ability to hear me sneak a piece of chocolate behind my closed pantry door 😀
Hahaha Tina that’s hilarious and I can totally relate. My girls have acute hearing. LOL
Thanks for entering.