When we worry about what others think of us it often chips away at our self-confidence. New moms experience this ten-fold because their bodies are often not the same as they were before pregnancy, and now they have less time to focus on themselves.

Palesa Mokoena, an honours social work student from the University Johannesburg, led a recent support session at the Witkoppen Health and Welfare Centre. At the session she discussed the importance of new moms having self-confidence, and how they can build it in themselves as well as their children.

“The biggest enemy of self-confidence is self-doubt. Even people we see as extremely confident sometimes doubt themselves. It’s not about being right all the time or knowing it all, it’s about putting a sense of power in yourself and being determined to accomplish whatever you set your mind to,” said Mokoena.

Mokoena had the moms write down a goal that would make them feel more confident. They then had to write down how they plan to achieve that goal, what the challenges would be, and how they would overcome them.

“By writing down your goals and having a plan of action, you can see all the steps you need to take to achieve your goal,” said Mokoena. “If it doesn’t work out the first time, you can always go back and change your plan. That is what confidence is all about: trusting that no matter what happens, you will be able to handle and learn from the outcome,” she added.

Murray Booth, a marketing executive at Cuddlers, was thrilled to have the session cover such an important topic.

“So many people struggle with self-confidence because we live in a society that thrives on judging others. By giving our moms these new tools they can learn to become more resilient, and find the confidence within themselves that leaves them growing from strength to strength,” said Booth.

Fhumulani Makhera, a social auxiliary worker at Witkoppen Health and Welfare Centre, says the most important thing that moms should know is that having self-confidence does not mean that you are perfect.

“Mothers can be so hard on themselves because they are responsible for others too, so when they make a mistake, it is harder on them because the rest of the family is watching,” said Makhera. “We wanted to instil this message into them so they can pass it down to their kids: that confidence means learning from your mistakes and knowing what to do when they happen,” he added.

Support sessions are sponsored by Cuddlers, Witkoppen Health and Welfare Centre, and the Fourways Review, under the banner of Caxton Cares. The sessions are bi-monthly, with the next session taking place on 1 August at 10:30am at the Witkoppen Health and Welfare Centre, 105 William Nicol Drive.


Details: WhatsApp Fhumulani Makhera on 065 936 0559.