Colman Noctor: It's self-worth, not confidence, that parents need to nurture 

Often described as ‘sore losers’, ‘uber competitive’ or ‘high achieving’, these children fly under the mental health radar because to the outside they seem to be thriving

Pic: iStock

'I want my child to be more confident,' parents often tell me.  While I agree that confidence can be a great asset in a child's social armoury, it's not where our focus needs to be when raising well-rounded children.

Confidence is often linked to performance and how we project ourselves into the world.  A child can be a confident student, hurler,  or musician, but this assuredness depends on their performance, not their self-value.