5 Top Tips to Help Boys Build Confidence

Do you ever notice how there seems to be lots of talk around helping girls build confidence but more than often the conversation is framed differently around boys?

This is a loaded statement but without diving into gender stereotypes let’s simplify things and arrive at one conclusion – typically, it’s assumed that most boys are confident.

As a general society we encourage boys to be proud and girls to be humble which may explain the greater focus on girl empowerment but…

There’s an elephant in the room.

All boys aren’t confident.

While boys may present as self-assured many deal with confidence issues. As a result they may act out because of an underlying feeling of lack or not measuring up.

The truth is, at some point all kids struggle with feelings of doubt and uncertainty as it relates to themselves. You can support the young person in your life by using MDTMT’s 5 top tips to help boys build confidence:

Tip #1: Create meaningful experiences. Encourage boys to tap into their interests, like music, art, technology, athletics, etc., so they can create experiences that highlight their strong points.

 Tip #2: Empower boys to develop a healthy sense of pride. Help your son see his own personality and capabilities as a treasure. Reassure him that it’s okay to give himself permission to be confident and express pride in his unique personal expression.

 Tip #3: Develop a culture of helpfulness or service. Connect boys with opportunities give back their school communities and/or neighborhoods by leveraging their creative ideas, problem solving and leadership skills.

 Tip #4: Provide boys with the resources to find a part-time job or internship so they can feel the satisfaction of successfully committing to a task and being compensated for doing a job well.

 Tip #5: Lift up his dreams about the future. Let his imagination run wild about the possibilities of who he’ll become when he grows up, what he wants to do for a career, and the lifestyle he envisions. Always, remind him that the sky’s the there’s no limit.

Imagine a community where young boys are supported with growing into self-confident men?

It doesn’t have to be a dream. With support, provision, and motivation you can raise a confident son.

And, you don’t have to box yourself in to these top tips nor do you have to be an expert to help the boys in your life build confidence. Simply affirming and acknowledging them is a great start!

How do you help your son or young person in your life build confidence?