But if there is real danger, if you are wanting to break up with someone and you suddenly have the sense they might lash out and hurt you, for example? Children often look to adults for information about how they should feel when things don’t go their way. Self-efficacy can generalise across different situations; it helps build a strong core of resilience and confidence. If they lost their campaign for class president, you might share how, in your experience, there are many different opportunities to be a leader as you grow up – they’ll get theirs!

Even a little bit of bravery can pay dividends when it comes to your personal passions and relationships.Young people need to face challenges and learn that they have the internal resources to deal with them. If you constantly dodge opportunities for emotional growth, you’ll find yourself unable to deal with challenging situations in your personal and professional life. Being brave can all fall to bits if we end up in a puddle of tears or get angry before we even get out what we need to get out. These little challenges, repeated over time, can build self-efficacy as much as fewer, bigger challenges. You know that you need to make a career change, but the thought of failing is keeping you from making a decision.

An important note: this Guide is not aimed at parents whose children are experiencing chronic, intense levels of anxiety, worry or depression. To truly grow, our young people need to enter uncertain situations and learn that they have the internal resources to cope with them. We work hard to bring you the most trustworthy, expert and up-to-date information on psychology and mental health in our Guides. Pay attention to when your child speaks longingly of an activity or challenge that they don’t think they can face – that is both a sign they might need some encouragement and a tell that this is an area of value for them. A mixed-methods study of women’s empowerment through physical activities: Relationships with self-efficacy and physical activity levels.Based on experience, I suspect that your child might look at you as if you’ve just suggested they gnaw off their own limb. I’ve written the Guide primarily for parents and other adults in caregiving roles, though many of the same principles are useful to educators. If you don’t succeed at first, you may need to find a novel way to solve the problem or an innovative solution that surprises the system. In chemistry class, a student raises her hand and answers a question correctly, sees that no one flames her and she doesn’t embarrass herself, and the next week feels confident enough to contribute a longer and more nuanced opinion in another class.