Our Top 7 Tips for Building Confidence and Self-Esteem in Your Preschooler

If you have heard that the rules around mobile phones and electronic devices in early childhood settings have changed, you are right. If your child attends a childcare centre in NSW, these changes are already in effect.

Here is a plain-English breakdown of what changed, why it happened, and what it means for your family.

Why Did the Laws Change?

The changes were introduced as a child safety measure. In 2025, Australia’s Education Ministers agreed to amend the Education and Care Services National Law to address concerns about the potential for personal devices to be used to capture, store, or transmit images of children in care without authorisation.

The intent is straightforward: children in early learning settings deserve an environment where their privacy and safety are actively protected.

What Changed Nationally

From 27 February 2026, amendments to the national Education and Care Services National Law took effect across Australia. Under these changes, educators and staff who work directly with children are restricted from using personal electronic devices in care settings.

Before this, from 1 September 2025, all early childhood education and care services nationwide were required to have written policies in place addressing the use of digital devices.

What Changed in NSW

NSW moved ahead of the national timeline. The Education and Care Services (Supply, Authorisation and Use of Devices) Order 2025 took effect on 6 November 2025, applying across NSW’s 6,000 or more early learning services, including long day care centres, preschools, and family day care.

Under this order, educators and staff must use service-issued or service-authorised devices rather than their own personal devices when working directly with children.

What Counts as a Personal Device?

The definition is broad. A personal device is any device owned by an individual (not the approved provider) that is capable of capturing, storing, or transmitting an image. This includes:

Mobile phones
Smartwatches
Cameras and tablets
iPads and laptops
Hard drives, USB drives, and memory cards
Wearables such as camera glasses

Who Does the Ban Apply To?

The restrictions apply to anyone working directly with children at a service, including permanent and casual educators, students on placement, volunteers, contractors, and allied health professionals delivering programs on-site.

Parents, carers, and other visitors are not covered by the ban. In NSW, parents and carers remain free to use their personal devices during drop-off, pick-up, centre visits, and events involving their own children. There are also authorised exceptions for essential purposes, including emergencies and health or disability support needs.

What About Screen Time for Children?

These new laws specifically address staff device use, not children’s screen time. Screen time limits for young children are not mandated within childcare regulation at a national level.

The relevant guidance comes from the federal Department of Health and Aged Care’s 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, which recommend no screen time for children under 2 years, and no more than 1 hour per day for children aged 2 to 5 years. These are health guidelines, not regulatory requirements.

What This Means for Your Family

If your child attends a childcare centre in NSW, their service is already required to operate under these rules. Any educator or staff member working directly with your child should not be using a personal device to take photos or videos. Only service-authorised devices should be used for that purpose.

If you have questions about how your centre handles digital devices or image capture, you are well within your rights to ask. Most services will have a written policy in place that covers exactly this.

At Clovel, the safety and wellbeing of every child in our care is at the heart of everything we do. If you would like to know more about how we support your child across our centres, we would love to have that conversation with you.

Confidence and self-esteem are essential for the healthy development of preschool-aged children. Not only do such characteristics provide a sense of self-worth, but they also encourage children to take risks, try new things, and build healthy relationships with family and peers. As a parent, you play a crucial role in nurturing your child’s confidence and self-esteem. And, as one of Sydney’s premier childcare facilities, we want to share 7 effective ways you can help build confidence and self-esteem in your preschool-aged children.

1. Encourage Independence

One of the most effective ways to build confidence in your child is to encourage independence. It is essential to provide opportunities for your child to make their own choices and decisions. Start small by allowing them to choose the clothes they will wear (and, yes, it is okay for them to mismatch!) or what they want to eat for breakfast. As your child grows, provide more significant opportunities for decision-making, such as choosing their after-school activity or planning a family outing. By allowing your child to make decisions and take responsibility for their choices, they will learn to trust their abilities and feel more confident in their decision-making skills.

2. Praise Effort, Not Just Achievement

While it is important to praise your child’s accomplishments, it is equally important to praise their effort. Instead of focusing solely on the outcome, celebrate the steps your child took to achieve it. For example, instead of saying, “You’re so smart for getting an A on your homework,” say, “I’m proud of you for studying hard and doing your best on your assignment.” By focusing on your child’s effort, you reinforce the idea that hard work and perseverance are essential to success.

3. Set Realistic Expectations

Setting realistic expectations for your child is an important part of building healthy confidence and self-esteem. It’s important to challenge your child, but setting expectations that are too high can lead to feelings of inadequacy and failure. Make sure your expectations are age-appropriate and consider your child’s unique strengths and weaknesses. If you’re unsure about what’s realistic, talk to your child’s teacher or a child development expert for guidance.

4. Teach Problem-Solving Skills

What a gift problem-solving skills are for any child! When your preschooler is faced with a challenge, encourage them to brainstorm possible solutions and evaluate the pros and cons of each option. For example, if your child is trying to build a block tower that keeps collapsing, help them work through potential solutions (lining the blocks up more carefully, creating a larger base to better support the tower, etc.). This not only helps your child feel empowered but also teaches them critical thinking skills they can use in other areas of their life.

5. Emphasise the Positive

It’s easy to focus on the negative when your child makes a mistake, but emphasising the positive can be more effective in building confidence and self-esteem. Instead of dwelling on what your child did wrong, focus on what they did right. For example, if your child spills a glass of milk, instead of saying, “Why did you do that?” say, “It’s okay, accidents happen. Let’s clean it up together.” By emphasising the positive, you reinforce the idea that mistakes are a natural part of learning and that your child’s worth is not based on their performance.

Have you heard of the term growth mindset? It means having the belief that facing challenges helps us meet our goals and shouldn’t be seen as a negative. To read more about this fascinating concept and to learn how to instill a growth mindset in your child, click here.

6. Provide Opportunities for Social Interaction

Social interaction is crucial for the development of confidence and self-esteem. Encourage your child to interact with other children and adults, both in and outside of school. Provide opportunities for playdates, group activities, and family outings. By interacting with others, your child will learn to communicate effectively, build relationships, and develop a sense of belonging.

7. Foster a Love of Learning

Fostering a love of learning is another way to build confidence in your child. Encourage your child’s natural curiosity by providing opportunities for exploration and discovery. Ask open-ended questions, read books together, and take your child on field trips to museums and other educational venues. By showing your child that learning is fun and rewarding, you help them develop a positive attitude towards education and build confidence in their ability to learn.

Building confidence and self-esteem in preschool-aged children is essential are essential for healthy development. As a parent, you can use these strategies to help your child develop the confidence and self-esteem they need to thrive. Remember, building confidence and self-esteem is a lifelong process, and your support and encouragement can make all the difference in your child’s success.

Lyn Connolly

Founder and Company Director

Lyn Connolly is the Founder and Company Director of Clovel Childcare & Early Learning Centres, a family‑owned group of eight centres across Western Sydney established from her first service at Merrylands. Active in early childhood education since 1977, she also serves as President of the Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) NSW, representing providers in state and federal consultations, media, and public hearings.

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