It can be heart-breaking for a parent to hear their child say ‘I’m rubbish’ or ‘I just can’t do it.’ Have you experienced this?
The primary school environment can be highly pressured where a child’s self-esteem can easily take a hit if he or she gets low marks in a test, if there’s a change of teacher, or even being moved down a set/class/table.
At secondary level, if a mock exam is given back without lots of positive feedback, it can massively affect a student’s confidence – even knock them off course at the final hurdle.
Endless supply teachers can also disrupt learning, where students don’t feel confident that they know enough.
How can you stem the tide?
1. Challenge negative self-talk with encouragement
Remind your child how well they have done on something else in the subject previously, to help them balance out their perspective. Then offer to help: ‘Let’s work through this together…’
2. Reward effort, not just success
Children need to hear that they are ‘doing their best.’ If you only praise when they get something right, it can make them feel inadequate when they get something wrong.
3. Share your own failures
Empathy is a powerful emotion.. When you share that you too used to find X subject tricky, or failed an exam but never gave up, it helps your child to see that getting it right first time doesn’t always happen.
Teaching children to not give up – to find different routes round a problem – can help them feel success is more reachable.
Get academic support from a personal tutor
Here at 1-21-1 Home Tutors in Wilmslow, we hear from worried parents all the time requesting exam and study support at stressful times in their child’s school career.
Luckily, we have a team of the loveliest tutors across Manchester and Cheshire who are there when your child needs that extra bit of help.
Contact us if you too need some advice. Remember, you’re not alone.
Tags: boost confidence, self-esteem