Diary Adventures of LagosMums: DALM | Malala’s Father Shares How to Raise Confident Children
If you know anything about Malala, you would definitely say that she is confident. We can learn more as Malala’s father shares how to raise confident children.
Malala credits her father, Ziauddin, for nurturing and encouraging that voice. “My father made me realize that my voice was powerful,” Malala writes in the forward to her dad’s book, Let Her Fly. “I knew how to tell a story, I knew how to speak up.”
Malala’s father, Ziauddin shared with Carmine Gallo on how he raised his daughter to have a load of confidence and to be a world leader and change agent.
Family History
Malala’s grandfather was a ‘fiery’ orator, a religious scholar whose speeches drew people from far and wide. Malala’s father shared that as a child he wanted to be a great speaker like his father. However, he developed a speech impediment at the age of four. His father helped him turn his weakness into a strength—by encouraging his son to practice speechmaking.
He passed along his love for education and his passion for public speaking to his daughter, Malala.
Parenting Advise on How to Raise Confident Children
Praise Plays a Big Part
Malala’s father shares that to raise a child, girl or boy, to be fearless and confident requires praise. Malala’s father believes that praise has a lot to do with it. “I endeavoured to make her feel like she was the wisest human being ever to come to this earth,” he shared. If Malala got a good grade, if she worked hard at a school project or she expressed an idea well, her father would praise her. As Malala grew older, so too did her confidence.
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Help the Child Believe In their Ability
On raising children to have faith in their own potential. He shares that if a parent does not give a child the space to think anything in life is possible, it is an uphill struggle for the child to believe in her own potential.
As a father, he believed in anything and everything for his daughter. He made the decision not to marry her off early nor let her be limited based on the established prejudices. Rather, he saw further ahead and thought instead, “She will change the world. She will move mountains. She is meant for the stars.”
Exposure
He advises encouraging your child to be bold and speak out publicly. “If you want your child to be fearless, encourage them to speak publicly—early and often. They’ll grow in confidence and move mountains”.
As a proud father, he shares that he is impressed and inspired by how his daughter handles her worldwide fame. He shares that she is clear, precise, and emotional. She’s also remarkably calm, even when speaking in front of world leaders.
Raising confident children starts with intentional parents; who ensure that they are indeed doing the things to raise a confident child. Your parenting style can also make a big difference in how confident your child is. Take the parenting style quiz here.
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