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There are many reasons why you may struggle with your confidence levels as a parent. After all, doing so brings forth a lot of changes in your life, which can leave you feeling very distant from the person you once were. On top of this, you may be worried about rising to the challenge of being a good mum or dad, especially when it feels as though there’s so much that can go wrong.
With that in mind, here are some confidence-boosting tips that every parent should know!
Confidence-boosting tips for every parent
Confidence Tips For Mums
Unfortunately, it is incredibly common to lose confidence after having a baby – in fact, a recent study found that 79% of mums feel this way. Fortunately, there are many steps that you can take to revamp your confidence.
Learn to appreciate your body
One of the biggest reasons why new mums deal with self-confidence issues is because of the way in which their bodies have changed. However, this is something that you should celebrate, as these changes are what allowed you to bring new life into the world. It’s a sign of how strong and powerful you are, and recognising this could help you to see a body in a new light.
In addition to this, there are plenty of steps that you can take to start feeling comfortable in your skin again. For example, this could include following a healthy diet or exercising a little more regularly. If you haven’t worked out since before getting pregnant, remember that it might take a little bit of time to return to your previous routine. Start small!
Stop with the mum-guilt
If you find that you’re constantly comparing yourself to other parents (and feel like you’re coming up short as a result of this), then this is an action that you need to put to a stop as quickly as possible. After all, it can be hard to build your confidence if you’re always tearing it down.
One way in which you can work to combat mum-guilt is by being mindful of the fact that any content you see on social media is highly curated. People may be willing to post their wins online, but they don’t post their losses. This means that while someone may seem to have it all together, this is simply not the case.
Develop a self-care routine
Developing a self-care routine is another great way to boost your confidence as a mum, as it means that you’re ensuring you’re not putting yourself at the bottom of your list of priorities. Furthermore, many acts of self-care, such as developing a skincare routine and meditating, are often associated with increased feelings of confidence and self-worth.
As such, you should start factoring self-care into your routine as quickly as you can. It is not selfish to do so, no matter what that little voice in your head may have to say about that.
Confidence Tips For Dads
Fatherhood, while being one of the great joys of life, can also set your confidence back in more ways than one. As such, it’s important that men work to build their confidence as much as possible, so that they feel both more comfortable in their own skin and better prepared to tackle any challenges that may come their way.
Take care of your appearance
For the most part, women tend to spend more time caring for their appearance than men. However, this could be a great way to boost your confidence, as it means that you are much more likely to be happy with what you see in the mirror. This, in turn, means that you’ll begin to carry yourself with more confidence.
There are many ways in which you can start taking care of your appearance as a man. For example, you may want to start by tackling anxieties head-on, which could include reaching out to a specialist to discuss a hair transplant.
Following this, you should work to develop a consistent grooming routine that leaves you looking and feeling your best. For example, you may want to invest in some basic skincare products that you can use each morning and night. However, don’t expect results overnight – the more consistent you are with your skincare, the better!
Talk about how you are feeling
Men are much less likely to express how they are feeling than women. However, this is something that must change. After all, staying silent means dealing with challenging emotions on your own, which is much more difficult than doing so with those you love by your side. Not only that, but it also means that those around you can ‘lift you up’ during a time where your self-esteem may be floundering, which, in turn, will help breathe life into your confidence.
While this may seem daunting, you’ll find that talking about your feelings and emotions becomes easier the more you do it. This means that while the first conversation may be hard, the second conversation will come much more naturally. It is also worth noting that there are a wide variety of people that you can speak to about your confidence woes, from your partner to professionals such as therapists and life coaches. You could even join a group especially for dads who are in a similar situation to your own!
Set goals
Setting yourself weekly or monthly goals is another well-known confidence boosting tactic. This is because you’ll instantly feel better about yourself when you can tick a goal off your list, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem in the long run. For example, you may want to aim to spend more time at the gym or to hit a specific target at work.
Confidence Tips For the Whole Family
Your children will pick up on how you carry yourself at an early age. This, in turn, means that if you model confidence around the home, your children will grow up to be much more confident themselves. With that in mind, here are some simple tips that you can use to elevate everybody’s confidence within your home.
Practice positive affirmations
Practicing positive affirmations each morning or evening is a great way to boost your entire family’s confidence. This is because it can prevent you all from falling into a negative mindset, especially when it comes to the way in which you perceive yourself. When guiding your children to practice affirmations, encourage them to focus on statements about themselves that are not necessarily tied to their appearance. For example, they could repeat mantras such as:
- I am really good at ___.
- I am kind to others, and people like being my friend.
- I always tell the truth.
- I always help others when they need it.
On a similar note, you should also make sure that you keep negative talk to a minimum (especially when your children are within earshot). This is because they will internalise these thoughts and begin to adopt a similarly negative mindset. One way in which you can combat this is by following up anything negative that you say about yourself with something positive.
Staying active
Staying active as a family is not only a great way to live a little healthier, but it is also an example of a way in which you can make simple changes that will boost your confidence. This is because exercise (in any form) can release endorphins that elevate your mood and happiness. Not only that, but it strengthens your belief in yourself, especially as you work toward new fitness goals.
Continue with your hobbies
Many people leave their hobbies behind in adulthood, especially when they are trying to juggle work, parenting and other responsibilities. However, dedicating time to your hobbies is actually a great way to boost your confidence and self-esteem. After all, in doing so, you’re learning new skills while also spending your free time in a more fulfilling way. Furthermore, by actively pursuing your hobbies into adulthood, you’re setting a great example for your children, who will understand the importance of putting themselves first from an early age.
While you may have plenty of hobbies to choose from, you may want to keep an eye out for those that the entire family can get involved in. For example, this could include outdoor activities like hiking or creative pursuits such as painting and drawing. This is also a great opportunity to spend more quality time together, which is sure to leave you feeling much happier moving forward.
Final thoughts
There are many reasons why you may feel as though your confidence has taken a hit since becoming a parent. For example, between long, sleepless nights, mounting responsibilities and a busy schedule, you may feel like you’re off your game entirely. In addition to this, you may be worried about your ability to look after your children.
Fortunately, there are plenty of steps that you can take to elevate your confidence as a parent, perhaps to heights you’ve never achieved before!
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