Best practices for parents:

1 Allow children to be comfortable in their own skin, to celebrate their uniqueness and express themselves in a safe and loving environment without judgement or ridicule. Children in the age group of 6-10 are often developing a sense of who they are and a sense of humour should definitely be encouraged!

2 Allow children to be children without adding pressures of test results or being top of the class - all those pressures will come later in life.

3 Encourage and celebrate their uniqueness and individual character strengths - stop comparing siblings.

4 Allow them to fail sometimes - it builds resilience and grit. Be there for them but encourage your child to become a problemsolver.

5 Remember, life’s not about what you get, it’s about who you become. Listen to your child when they have a problem and give them space to resolve it.

6 Instead of telling children how good they are, start commending their efforts, bravery, kindness, decision making and other traits.

7 When your child asks you, ‘Is this good?’ say to them, ‘What do you think?’ Encourage critical thinking and lessen need for external praise to validate worth.