I Can Be Brave

Does your child appear nervous in social situations? Perhaps they express worries about what other people will think of them, or are sad and withdrawn? Do they seem reluctant to take part in their usual interests and hobbies? These could be signs that your child is struggling with low confidence.

This practical guide combines cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness methods with simple activities to help your child improve their self-confidence and self-esteem. Children experience so many highs and lows during their primary school years that can impact their emotional well-being, not just now, but for years to come.

Your child will be guided, with the help of Pip—a friendly and supportive character they can identify with—through fun and engaging activities  interspersed with useful tips, inspirational statements, and practical information for parents.

Topics include:

• Recognizing signs of low and high self-confidence
• Understanding "self-talk"
• Using quick confidence boosters
• Learning mindfulness and meditation
• Practicing assertiveness
• Sitting with tricky emotions
• Exercising, eating healthy, and sleeping
• Creating a confidence action plan
• And more!

Activities include creating a glitter jar, coloring a mood tracker, practicing one-minute visualizations, learning breathing techniques, and making a confidence box.

Poppy O'Neill runs a writers’ retreat in Portsmouth. Her short stories and nonfiction have appeared in various literary magazines and anthologies, and her flash fiction has been long-listed for the Bath Flash Fiction Award and the Bristol Prize. She resides in Chichester, England.