Ask the Expert: What Are Your Top 5 Tips for Raising Confident Kids?

Gina Otto, author of Cassandra's Angel and international children's advocate, provides the following five tips on how to raise confident, self-assured children based on the experience she gained during her 15 years spent speaking with and learning from children firsthand.

1. Your Actions and Behaviors Matter

Your children are learning from you every minute of every day. If you are treating them with respect, listening to them, giving them good boundaries and providing them with a safe environment, they will learn to be respectful, communicative, thoughtful, and conscientious children who are willing to try new things and take healthy risks.

2. Choose Your Words Carefully

It is very important to take care with the words we use. We must make a conscious choice to differentiate between telling a child he made a mess and that he is a mess.

3. Take the Time to Make it Right

Children are resilient, but they also hold on to messaging they receive. If we have a bad moment and scold our children too harshly or perhaps say something that we wished we hadn't, it is important to set some time aside to address the situation later. A short apology or explanation as to why we got so upset helps the child to understand that there are ways to repair a difficult moment and helps him to better understand the arts of taking responsibility and being a good communicator.

4. Above All Things, Love

You can never, never, never love or encourage your child too much. Children today receive so many messages from outside sources, (the media, friends at school, online influences, bullies, etc.) often they will receive several negative messages in a day. Home is often their "safe place" where they get to refuel and go back out into the world the next day. Take every opportunity to reinforce positive messaging and reassure your children that everyone has challenges and that you are their biggest champion and supporter.