How can you help your child build more confidence and manage their anxiety through performing
arts and musical theater education? While each child is different, the following ten tips may be helpful to keep in mind as you take your child through their first performance, whether it’s in front of an audience or on film.
1) Learn about performance anxiety
It's incredibly important to learn how to manage and push through performance anxiety at a young age. Performance anxiety might keep you from accomplishing what you want to do and could have a negative impact on your child's performance at school if not properly managed. While most performance anxiety is normal and natural, and although it may be hard to completely eliminate performance anxiety, there are a number of things you can do to manage it and leverage it to succeed.
2) Support your child
Your connection with your child has a significant impact on their mental health, and a strong relationship begins with trust. Creating a sense of safety and security is one method to develop trust.
And, by all means, follow through on your promises and say what you mean. Your children rely on you to be reliable, honest, and compassionate. Find methods to show that you care about them and that they can rely on you to keep them safe and healthy.
Similarly, provide structure in their daily life to help kids prepare for new school years and other transitions. Create a regular routine, keep a calendar, and schedule a family fun day every week.
3) Encourage creativity in other areas
Creativity is sometimes thought to be a natural talent, as if we are either born creative or not. But this isn't the case. Sure, some people are born with characteristics that help them acquire specific abilities, and various people have varying capacity for absorbing information and learning, but this shouldn't stop people from growing their creativity.
Artists are the folks we most connect with being the most creative. Actors, painters, sculptors, singers, and athletes are among them. However, these individuals have honed their skills to become the masters they are today. They didn't learn these talents overnight; they got involved at a young age and stuck with it. In the quest of expertise, there is no way to avoid practice.
4) Help them find a comfortable place to feel confidence
Give children "special projects" in addition to housework and classroom assignments to make them feel valuable, responsible, and capable. Using the label "special" boosts children's self-esteem even more and allows them to shine.
At your school, ask your child's teacher if he or she can assist in the creation of classroom decorations, watering plants, erasing the board, and other activities.
Parents should spend meaningful time with their children to indicate that they are worthwhile, since love and acceptance are crucial components of confidence and self-worth.
Take your child on trips, share meals, play games, walk outside, share stories with each other frequently, or do anything else that will allow you and your child to spend quality time together.
5) Attend live music or theater performances
As soon as school begins, children's social interactions are primarily confined to those in their age group and those in their immediate area. Live performances have a tendency to eliminate those boundaries. Each performance attracts a diverse group of individuals of all ages and walks of life.
Taking your children to live performances exposes them to different audiences and situations, allowing them to develop a sense of belonging with individuals outside of their typical circles. And being in the audience of a live performance may help your children not only acclimate to new people and settings, but also understand them on a deeper level.
When seeing a live performance of a tale unfold, the audience is put in the position of walking in the shoes of the character for a short time.
It's a safe location for your kids to see situations and individuals they wouldn't normally see. They develop a greater understanding of others' decisions and backgrounds and fresh views as a result of the situation.
6) Acknowledge effort over outcome
Setting objectives is an excellent method to provide direction and meaning to our lives. However, putting too much emphasis on the outcome might lead to anxiety, tension, and dissatisfaction. To achieve the goals we set for ourselves, we must devote 100 percent of our attention to the minor tasks at hand, daily routines, and persistent action that will get us closer to our objectives.
We must be in the present moment, which is the only thing we have control over, in order to put up our best effort. The past and future are beyond our control, yet making the correct decisions in each present can lead to the future we want. Focusing on the here and now gives us control over our life and empowers us.
7) Let them know it’s normal to be nervous
It's important to remember that anxiousness isn't necessarily a negative emotion. To stay attentive or urge ourselves to take action, we sometimes need the adrenaline rush that healthy fear may bring. However, if your child's worry is persistent, intense, and interfering with everyday life, it's a good idea to address it early on.
8) Keep things fun
Having fun with our kids might sometimes involve reconnecting around similar interests. Is there a sport that both of you enjoy? Is there a creative activity you could both participate in? Maybe you both love attending Broadway shows together or going to see action movies at the movie theater! Maybe there's a book series that captivates both of your imaginations. Find opportunities to have a good time by doing something you both enjoy!
To learn more about what theater can do for your child, reply to us or browse our programs and we would love to see how we can help!
Thank you, always, for your continued support!
Your biggest fans,
Kyle & Healy ❤️