ARIANE BURGESS: Confidence to be themselves is the best gift for our young people
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Holyrood Notebook by Ariane Burgess
As we head towards the winter holidays, a time of celebration and gratitude and a time of giving and receiving gifts, I’m keeping my ear out for what family members would love to receive.
I find myself reflecting on what the best gift could be for the young people in my life. Is it a new gadget, a trendy outfit, or a popular toy?
While these things may bring temporary happiness, they are not the most valuable or lasting gifts. Through meeting so many people in my work as a Member of the Scottish Parliament, I am beginning to see that one of the most important gifts we can give to young people in our lives is the gift of confidence.
Confidence is not something you can buy or wrap with a bow but something we need to nurture and cultivate over time. Why is confidence so important for young people?
Confidence is the belief in oneself and one's abilities. It is the foundation for making the most out of life. Confidence helps young people to overcome challenges, to learn from mistakes, and to pursue their dreams.
Confidence also helps young people to be open to new experiences, to explore their interests and talents, and to discover their potential.
As parents, teachers, mentors and friends, we can play an important role in instilling confidence in our young people. We can do this by providing encouragement, feedback, guidance and support. We can also do this by modelling confidence ourselves, by showing how we cope with difficulties, how we celebrate our achievements, and how we enjoy life.
There are many ways to instil confidence in young people, here are a few examples of things we might do with the young person in our lives – child, grandchild, niece or nephew.
It might be a practical skill, like teaching them how to fix a bike or sew a button. It might be a sport, like playing shinty or football with them. It might be making food, like baking cookies or preparing a salad. Whatever it is, the key is to show them that they are capable, that they have something valuable to offer, and that they are loved and appreciated, especially for being who they are.
Giving confidence as a gift is not only beneficial for the young people in our lives who receive it but also for ourselves as givers and for society as a whole. A confident young person is more likely to be happy, healthy, productive and responsible. A confident young person is more likely to contribute positively to their family, community and the world.
Therefore, however you celebrate over the winter holidays, let’s find ways to give the gift of confidence to the young people in our lives. Let us show them that we believe in them, that we appreciate them, and that we love them.
Let us help them develop the confidence that will set them up for life and let them know that we accept them without condition.
- Ariane Burgess is a Green MSP for the Highlands and Islands.
