Chapa-De Wants Our Youth to be Confident!
Chapa-De Indian Health Auburn Grass Valley | Medical Clinic
Growing up is full of challenges. Our bodies change quickly, our environment changes rapidly and we are trying to learn who we are as people. Many children suffer from a lack of self-esteem or confidence as they try to navigate growing up. Today we are observing nation Youth Confidence Day to support children everywhere.
What does confidence mean?
Confidence, or self-esteem, is the state of being sure of yourself. When we are confident we aren’t afraid to try new things and take on new challenges. We are proud of ourselves and where we are in our lives.
How is confidence part of health?
Confidence is a big part of our mental health. When we are sure of ourselves and feeling strong, we able to approach daily tasks and new challenges with a clear mind and eagerness to succeed.
When we aren’t feeling so confident, small things like meeting new people or joining a new organization can seem very scary. While some nerves are good with new things, we always to be confident in ourselves that we will succeed in what we are doing. Without confidence, we can start to beat ourselves up, which is bad for our mental health.
Being confident and having good self-esteem allows us to live our lives fully and be happy. In this way, it helps us to achieve good mental health.
Why is confidence important for children?
Growing up is one of the most challenging times in our lives. We deal with changes every day. Whether it be a new school, making a new friend, trying a new activity or physically growing bigger and stronger, youth is a time of rapid development.
Sometimes, these changes can lead to a lack of confidence. Many times children compare the rate of their development to other children they know. Am I too tall right now? Why am I not as strong as my friend? All of my peers understand this math problem, why can’t I?
When we ask ourselves questions like these, we are damaging our confidence. If we focus too much on comparing ourselves to others, we become afraid to do the things that allow us to grow strong and confident. But all of these things are important parts of growing up. They teach us that being different is good and that we should always be ourselves. But to get there, you need to be confident.
How to gain confidence
There are many ways you can help your child become more confident. Here are a few:
- Let your child know you love them
- Praise your child when they do well or try something new
- Help your child set realistic goals
- Be a model for self-love and positive self-talk
- Teach resilience
- Teach independence and adventure
- Encourage physical activities
- Support their passions
- Set rules and be consistent
- Coach relationship skills
- Click HERE to read more about helping your children be more confident.
How you can observe
Take the time today to help yourself or a child in your life practice their confidence. Tell someone they look happy today. Complement someone. Ask yourself what makes you confident in yourself and share that advice with a loved one. There are many ways to help spread confidence around today.
At Chapa-De, we offer many behavioral health services. This includes services for children five years and older who experience behavioral and emotional problems. To read about our behavioral health services, please click HERE.
For more information on Chapa-De and the services we offer, please call our Auburn location at (530) 887-2800 or our Grass Valley location at (530) 477-8545 or visit us online at chapa-de.org.
PASSIONATE PEOPLE. COMPASSIONATE CARE.
Chapa-De provides medical care, dental care, optometry, behavioral health, pharmacy services and much more.
Serving all American Indian, Low Income and Limited Income Community
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Chapa-De Indian Healthcare Auburn Grass Valley