Helping a child make positive changes to feel fantastic

Children face many challenges in life, and it can be difficult for parents and carers to know what they can do to help. This option can have a positive influence on many situations young people may face - from anger and low confidence to bedwetting and much more. This article will focus on low confidence and share the possibilities that are available to you.

Low confidence in children can come out in different ways. These may include;

• being self-critical and hard on themselves
• believing they are not as good as other kids
• thinking of the times they fail rather than when they succeed
• not believing they can do things well
• not feeling understood and feeling like they don’t fit it
• becoming isolated and lonely
• being nervous when meeting others and having difficulty mixing with others

There are ways you can help your child, and here are a few suggestions;

• encourage them to try new things
• praise them for doing the best they can - you don’t have to always be a winner
• be a confident role model
• give them new challenges and experiences
• let them work out problems for themselves
• talk about a time you felt like this
• encourage ways they can help others
• focus on their strengths and interests

Now, these are a few practical ways that you can help. Once you’ve put your child to bed and they have been asleep for about 30-40 minutes, go into the room and gently stroke the forehead, or the side of the face. It's while your child's in this level of sleep that the unconscious mind is open up to the positive suggestions you wish to make. You can say a few suggestions which you can repeat each night, sharing how they are loved, safe, and confident. It only takes a few minutes; this can simply be "you are safe, secure, and loved. You are confident and you are calm, relaxed, and secure within yourself".

Another alternative is to record your voice telling a story, and this can be listened to at bedtime as the child just drifts off to sleep, allowing the unconscious mind to take in positive suggestions.

When you bring children and young people along to see a hypnotherapist, many methods can help. One of the methods I have used many times is introducing balloon breathing for relaxation, and a bubble of protection to help reduce the feeling of vulnerability.

Balloon breathing

Balloon breathing is a simple breathing exercise that you can do anywhere. Slow, deep breaths are one of the best ways to calm an anxious child. Fill the belly with air like a big balloon for the count of three. Breathe out, emptying the balloon. Keep repeating for four or five times until relaxed.

The bubble of protection

This is using the child’s mind and imagination to make positive changes. Take a deep breath in and a long, slow breath out. Imagine, in your mind, that you are blowing a bubble, a bubble that gets bigger and bigger... so big that it starts to surround your own body. You can see this bubble, and it's great fun. This is your bubble, and no one else can see it or feel it. Here, you can see the world, and nothing can get through this bubble - it is only for you. Make it any colour you want, soft or hard. Imagine it has a bed or chairs, or even bean bags. You can have lights or lasers - anything at all. Nothing can get through this bubble, and hurtful or scary things just bounce off. Imagine that you can keep this in your pocket, bag, or even just in your mind, and whenever you try new things you can do this feeling calm and happy because if you start to get a little worried or nervous, just use your mind bubble and you can feel confident, safe, and just really enjoy all the new adventures waiting for you. So, put your mind bubble somewhere safe; you know where it is, and you can do all the things you wish to do, feeling calm and confident, happy and excited, with your bubble tucked away for whenever you need it.

The methods and words used are just a very small way that hypnotherapy can help young people. Many therapists will offer wording that is specially written for your young person's very own circumstances and may record personalised recordings just for you. This can help greatly with settling a child down for sleep and making behaviour or emotional changes. Hypnotherapy allows these negative beliefs to be released, allowing your child to get on with living a full and rewarding life. Almost every child can benefit from hypnotherapy. Many children develop physical issues such as tummy pains, headaches, migraines, or fatigue from stress, and the methods mentions are wonderful ways to relax and release stress.