{"id":202585,"date":"2020-04-23T17:22:55","date_gmt":"2020-04-23T21:22:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.nicolethemathlady.com\/four-ways-to-build-confidence-in-your-kids\/"},"modified":"2020-04-23T17:22:55","modified_gmt":"2020-04-23T21:22:55","slug":"four-ways-to-build-confidence-in-your-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.nicolethemathlady.com\/four-ways-to-build-confidence-in-your-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Ways to Build Confidence in Your Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

\u201cIn order to understand someone, walk a mile in their shoes.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

This old saying is so great for helping me understand empathy. Sometimes it\u2019s enough to just imagine walking in someone else\u2019s shoes\/circumstances, but this spring I have learned that there\u2019s really nothing to develop empathy quite like REALLY walking in someone else\u2019s shoes<\/strong>. (And no, I’m not talking about quarantining-at-home-slippers. I’m talking about actually being put into someone else’s circumstance.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See, when the schools shut down and kids were sent home, I became a schooling-at-home parent, too.<\/strong> I\u2019ve had to help my kids transition to digital learning just like many other Americans<\/a>. I have a newfound respect for all of you who have been thrown into this suddenly, as well as those of you who have been sitting alongside your kids for years in a more traditional homeschooling setup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And my hat is off to you a thousand times more than ever before.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s hard. Rewarding but hard. But if you have been around here for long, you know I\u2019m a natural problem solver, so I\u2019ve tried to use the last few weeks to come up with ways to solve the biggest problem I see while teaching my own kids: the lack of confidence that comes when trying to learn new things. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t we all understand that? If you are learning something new, you naturally lack confidence in it because you have no idea if you\u2019ll get it or not. So not only is it important to teach the concepts or skills, but it\u2019s also vital to help kids believe that they can learn it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Since it really is worthwhile to help your kids learn new things, I wanted to pass on some things I\u2019ve learned that have helped build them up as they take on hard tasks<\/strong> in a new environment. Many of these are tiny tweaks, and you don\u2019t need to pile them all on at the same time. However, I\u2019ve seen them each make a big difference when I\u2019ve implemented them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Praise.<\/strong> It\u2019s amazing what a sincere, heartfelt, \u201cGood job,\u201d \u201cGreat effort,\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m proud of you\u201d will do. I\u2019m not one for false praise, but when they deserve (and right now, we pretty much all deserve it), give it to them! At the very least, it will establish the goodwill that you want<\/strong> to be there when you inevitably have to give correction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Recognition.<\/strong> This is a step beyond praise, and often requires some pre-planning. Plan a reward.<\/strong><\/a> Let them know what they are working toward. If it will take time, try to mark it incrementally so they gain some momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. <\/strong>Fun and Silliness.<\/strong> Who said learning has to be boring? A lesson read in a funny voice, telling a simple joke to break up the tension, or singing a song to reinforce a concept–they all help make the atmosphere light.<\/strong> And while you don\u2019t want to add distractions, I think we all know it\u2019s easier to learn when the pressure is off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Energy\/Excitement.<\/strong> I\u2019ve found that when I can approach lessons with some excitement, or at the very least, a  little energy, it is infectious to my kids<\/strong>. It makes sense–anytime someone else is excited about a topic, I tend to perk up too. And yet I know this is so hard right now. We are all in a new, weird world. All the days run together and there\u2019s nothing to do and yet it\u2019s also almost impossible to get everything done. Trust me, I\u2019m right there with you. You don\u2019t have to be cheerleader-levels of enthusiasm every minute of your teaching. But if we can all muster just a little extra oomph<\/a> from time to time, our kids will generally meet us there, and the lessons will go better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am so grateful that I\u2019ve had the opportunity to walk in the shoes of more of my subscribers these last few weeks. It hasn\u2019t been easy, but I\u2019m grateful nonetheless. I hope that what I\u2019ve learned helps you, too–I’ll be sending out some more ideas next week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talk to you soon,<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Nicole the Math Lady<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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