When is an appropriate time to begin raising confident and resilient kids? The simple answer is now.
Today is a good day to begin whether your children are 2 or 20.
If that sounds confusing, allow me to explain.
Resilience and confidence are cumulative skills.
They're what I like to call building block skills.
If your children are small, allowing them to make simple choices early on boosts their sense of self-reliance.
Every opportunity your child has to attempt a new task, undertake a new challenge, whether she succeeds or not, she's building resilience and confidence.
Of course, it's easy to understand the connection between success and self-assurance, but how does an unmet challenge support those skills? Merely by creating a reference point - that mistakes and failed opportunities are disappointing but not the end of the world.
The self-knowledge she gains will be the foundation, the resilience she can rely on for years to come.
If quite a few years have gone by and your child is not as resilient and confident as you hoped they'd be, don't worry.
It's never too late to start.
You can begin to allow and realistically expect them to make choices and be responsible for the outcome of their choices.
You'll always be there to love and support your child, but by taking a step back as they take a step forward, you'll be encouraging the growth of those building block skills one day at a time.
Why not give your children a chance to display their adaptability? Nothing ventured.