Fostered or adopted children who come from lives of trauma are known to typically fall into one of two extremes. They are often extremely shy or have the tendency to be overbearing. Is there a way to correct these behaviors? We believe that through the use of encouragement and love, you can instill confidence in any child.

You may ask, does an overbearing child really need confidence? The truth is, they are probably acting out or acting arrogant due to a deep insecurity that they are not good enough. You can help to rectify this feeling by showing them that you are proud of them and that their actions don’t determine how you feel about them. So here we’ve compiled some encouraging phrases you can use to build your child’s confidence!

“You are capable”

Saying “you can do this” may sounds similar, but in reality, the tone is completely different. If a child hears “you can do this” over and over, but fails repeatedly, they may start to feel that they do not live up to your expectations. Saying that they are capable leaves room for failure, but can still inspire the child to continue efforts.

“You can do hard things”

You may not know the hard things that your child goes through. Physically AND mentally. Whatever it is your kid is going through, this phrase can inspire them. What “hard” means to them is likely different than what it means to you.

“How’d you do that?!” 

Your child may feel inferior to you, for obvious reasons! Show them that their mind CAN come up with amazing things! No matter how young, our kids have the ability to do amazing things.

“You make me so proud”

Remember that tone is everything. When you say this, MEAN it!

We hope this helps you get a fresh perspective! If you have any other tips or tricks, let us know on Facebook!

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