5 free ways to improve your child’s confidence in SE London

Young people are facing a confidence crisis. A study from last year showed that 1 in 3 young people feels they have little to no confidence in themselves. This statistic, while worrying in its own right, also signals that these young people might struggle down the line with making friends, interviewing for jobs, and building lasting relationships.

It’s so important to build young people’s confidence as early as possible, in order for them to be able to access as many opportunities as possible in the future. However, much of the support available is expensive or inaccessible.

In this blog, we take a look at five free ways you can help build your child’s confidence in South East London.

Reaffirm them

Children grow up understanding the world in quite a binary way. There’s a right or wrong way to spell or count. This can sometimes pull through to how they approach more fluid things, like art, socialisation, or creativity. Children can get anxious about making new friends or participating in a creative activity, because they don’t understand what the rules or metrics for success are.

This is additionally important with children with SEN, who might have additional struggles in reading social cues or understanding that there isn’t one correct way of getting creative or making friends.

By reaffirming your child and reminding them that there is no one correct answer, you can break down some of the mental barriers that might have been put up, and help your child feel more confident in themselves and in their decisions.

Find like-minded friends

School can be an overwhelming place for children, especially if they feel ‘different’. Sometimes, it’s because the majority of students like to play a specific game or talk about a specific TV show or film. For children who have different interests or just want to socialise with a wider group, free after-school clubs are a great way to find common ground. Many children find their tribe outside of the classroom, and this makes them less fixated on joining in on every conversation at school. Knowing that they’re liked and supported builds their confidence and relaxes anxious minds.

Speak to other trusted adults

Some children can find themselves less willing to express themselves because they’re worried about being judged or feeling embarrassed. By speaking to other trusted grown-ups such as teachers or after-school club supervisors, you can create a plan that helps them feel supported. In our performing arts classes, we’ve had students who loved rehearsing but felt worried about performing for a crowd. Because their grown-ups had spoken to us about their fears, we were able to come up with ways for the child to do what felt comfortable, and in the end they found themselves wanting to do the show in its entirety.

Often, supporting a shy child takes a village, and free after-school activities can offer additional support, adjustments, or suggestions to help bring them out of their shell.

Talk about your feelings

Children don’t always realise that adults get shy or nervous, too. By talking to your child about times you’ve felt embarrassed or scared, you can help demystify the feeling. In fact, many children benefit from hearing that you did it scared and everything was okay, or that you didn’t do it and weren’t in trouble afterwards.

It can also be helpful to talk about these things more often, and not just when your child is already upset. That way, they come to associate open communication with their day-to-day life, and not just with negative feelings.

Access free youth activities

Free youth activities can give your child a space to grow their creativity. Performing arts classes in particular can be excellent, as children play games and do rehearsals that slowly help them realise they can be themselves without judgement.

It’s also an environment to meet like-minded friends and share interests, as well as to access trusted adults. A good performing arts school will work with you and your child’s needs, to ensure they get the tools and support they need to grow in confidence.

In some cases, this can be as simple as allowing the child to come to class early and meet the teacher before other students arrive. In other cases, it can mean them not taking part in certain parts of a show that scare them, but allowing them to have other jobs that help them feel useful.

At Montage Theatre Arts, we meet every child where they are to grow their confidence and help them make friends, be bold, and thrive. With free and discounted places available in every class, we’re an amazing free way for children in South East London to become their most confident selves. 

Want to learn more? Email us at admin@montagetheatre.com, and we’d love to learn more about you and your child.