It is said that courage is the ability to face fear and to proceed anyway. Many children, and adults for that matter, get bogged down in their fears and fail to realize their goals, and the contributions they have to make world. Quite simply, fear can make someone less than they are. Below is a discussion of three fundamental ways to help the anxious child be courageous in the face of his fears.
1. Courage in the pursuit of goals.
Courage in the pursuit of goals is about teaching children persistence in the face of failure. Nobody likes to fail; however, some people take failure more to heart than others. Often, children who quit easily after failure believe that falling short of a goal affects their inherent value as a person. Quite understandably, they become afraid to put their self-worth on the chopping block a second time, and so they abandon their goal. These kids believe there is no room for failure because they feel that they must be perfect to deserve love, respect, friends, social status and other good things in life. Let children know that they are loved and valued regardless of their achievements. If you praise children