Building a Girl’s Confidence
By Empowered & Poised
“7 in 10 girls believe they are not good enough or do not measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in school and relationships with family and friends.”
At Empowered & Poised it is our mission is to empower and educate girls on how to be beautiful from the inside out through the discovery of social, mental, and physical components. Our goal is to empower the young girls in the community to make safe, responsible, and healthy choices in their everyday lives.
We are focused on providing them with resources, activities, and discussions surrounding the concept of the wellness triangle: physical, social, and mental well-being. The skills taught to seek to promote positive self-image, self-awareness, creativity, leadership, interpersonal skills, and overall wellness.
Participants learn skills that will help give them the basis and framework to be successful in life. We provide girls with the tools to be confident enough to give expression to their individuality. These skills guide girls to collaborate, communicate, think critically and creatively, as well as develop confidence, self-awareness, and empathy. Girls can apply these newly acquired skills at school, at home, and in the community. As a result, they will develop into women who are more qualified candidates for opportunities such as enlistment, education, or employment in the future.
So, why is it so important that we give girls the tools to become more confident? How are we able to achieve this?
Here are five of the many ways to encourage and assist a young girl in developing her confidence.
1. MODEL BODY ACCEPTANCE
Hey Moms! This one is especially important for you. Did you know that how you feel about your body can affect how your daughter feels about hers? For example, if you say something like “look at my fat jiggly arms” it could actually influence your daughter’s perceptions of her own arms. If you feel that you could use some tips on how to better model body acceptance check out this article.
2. DIRECT PRAISE TO MORE THAN JUST HER APPEARANCE
It’s super important that we don’t only tell girls that they are beautiful, have nice hair, or have a nice figure, but also praise them for their inner qualities. After all, at Empowered & Poised we teach our students that beauty begins on the inside. A couple of phrases that you could use are “You are so smart!” or “Your courage is so inspiring!”.
3. FOCUS ON HER EFFORTS INSTEAD OF HER PERFORMANCE
Remember, if a girl is putting forth her best effort and she still falls short of your expectations there is no need to criticize her. Instead, share with her how proud you are of the hard work and efforts she has displayed. Continue to be patient and remember that everyone develops at different rates and possesses different skill sets. As we often hear, encourage “progress over perfection!”
4. HELP HER TO BECOME A CRITICAL CONSUMER OF THE MEDIA
First, let’s define media. According to Dictionary.com, media is defined as “the means of communication, as radio and television, newspapers, magazines, and the Internet, that reach or influence people widely”. Therefore, it’s important to help a young girl become a critical consumer of all media platforms that she may use or become influenced by. One example of how you can help her better understand the media is by discussing ads and the influence they have on consumers. For example, discuss why a celebrity may be in an ad and what effect that could have on an individual to buy a certain product. You can also discuss social media and its connection to filters and photoshopping. Help her to understand that everything she sees is not always as it first appears.
5. MOST IMPORTANTLY, MAKE SURE SHE KNOWS YOU LOVE HER ALL THE TIME!
One of the most important things that we have discovered at Empowered & Poised is the importance of love. The reason that many girls open up to us and are able to get the support they need is that WE CARE. We do not sit in judgment of the girls we work with, but rather accept them with loving arms and provide the necessary support to help them move forward each and every day.
Have you ever met someone who wants to try out for a sports team, but doesn’t feel that she is good enough? Using these tips can help to encourage her to try out for the spot on the team she has been talking about but has been a little too afraid to try. Oftentimes, as self-esteem is increased, avenues and opportunities open that increase the overall well-being of an individual.
When a young girl is confident, she is more likely to find new hobbies that she enjoys and develop healthy and meaningful relationships. As time passes, this newly found confidence can help her to become more successful as a woman. When she goes for that big-time interview for that job she has been working hard for she will remember that push you gave her to try out for the sports team.
Using these tips can help build a girl’s self-confidence and increase the likelihood that she will try new things that she may otherwise not.
Thanks to The Child Mind Institute's ideas that helped inspire this article. Check out their website at The Child Mind Institute and this article on their site for even more ways to be a positive role model for young girls.
