Have you seen a child who is so coward, he is afraid of his own shadow? Looking at children who cannot face simple problems is not at all pleasant. Not only will the child develop lack of confidence and inferiority complex by being a coward but he will also become so weak that the simple challenges that he faces will become burden in his life. This could hurt his future if it is not addressed earlier.
It is very important to teach courage to children. This will greatly affect the way he faces challenges and endeavors in life. Once the child has courage it would be easier for him to cope with life no matter how tough it would be. Courage includes being strong that will allow the child to face any situation no matter how difficult it is. If the child has courage he will try doing something even if he did not experience doing it yet. If the child is weak, he will always say, “I cannot do it.”
I have a student who is nine years old. He is a smart boy and he has good comprehension but his learning is deterred by his cowardice. He is afraid of dogs. He is afraid of insects. Sometimes he is afraid to talk to people. During his first days with us in school, he wanted to sit beside me and he refused to look at the other kids. Slowly I was able to help improve how he looks at the things around him. I kept encouraging him. I even told him to touch the dog and pet it. He was able to touch the dog for at least a few minutes. From that time on he improved a lot and he begun socializing with the other kids.
If you have kids around, whether you are a teacher or a parent, it is important that you are observant. Some children are bullies. They bully other children that they consider weak then call them cowards. These kids are not cowards. They are being bullied that is why they have developed fear in them.
It is easy to teach children courage. Start while they are young. Do not tell the kids that there is a monster under the bed if they refuse to go to sleep. Never do that to little kids because you are teaching them to be coward instead of developing in them courage. Should you want your kids to obey, do it the proper way.
One of the best ways to teach courage to kids is to let them do things on their own with your guidance of course. Children who are very independent are more likely to be courageous than children who always depend on their elders or teacher. It is important that the child is independent because this is a step towards becoming courageous.
Use encouragement to develop courage in a child. If he says he cannot do it, guide him and make him do it. If he is able to accomplish something that he thought he cannot do, give him the incentive that he deserves. You could either give him something to appreciate his effort or just tell him that he is very good. Children need to be praised and encouraged. That will contribute a lot in developing courage in them.
Written by Lisa Gayagay
Teacher, writer and blogger.
Related Courage Articles