How to Build Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem in Kids [Video]

We want our kids to be liked, so when they’re not picked for a team or their BFF suddenly switches to another friend group, it’s almost (but not) harder for us than for our littles. After all, we want to help them build self-confidence and self-esteem, and when our kids feel left out, we’re stuck trying to figure out what to do.

“When a parent feels that their kid has been slighted, a lot of times they want to fix it right away, but they need to learn to pause,” says Katie Hurley, a child and adolescent psychotherapist and author of the award-winning book No More Mean Girls: The Secret to Raising Strong, Confident, and Compassionate Girls.

That’s right, Mom and Dad. Our kids have got this—at least, most of the time. Read on to learn how to build self-confidence and self-esteem in kids when they feel left out and when you should (and shouldn’t) get …