This week's featured freebies

Confidence isn't earned, it's taught!

Today's episode is going to hit home for a lot of you because the #1 response I get from you, parents, when I ask you what your deepest wish is for your middle schooler...

Confidence.

Like so many words, there are multiple interpretations to confidence depending on the person. I've gathered the definitions of a few psychologists, child development specialists, teachers, and thought-leaders, then thought deeply around my own perspective and experience to come up with my own.

Confidence is the inner knowing that who you are at your core is valuable. You understand and accept your strengths, weaknesses, quirks, and interests as parts of your personality, and you understand that these characteristics don't make you better or worse than someone else, but just as valuable. You are able to show up authentically in your day-to-day life feeling deep within that no matter what life throws your way you'll figure it out and be o.k.

So, in today's podcast, I've got 3 simple tips to raise a confident middle schooler. As you're listening, instead of trying to remember all three, just pick one of these tips that you're going to try for the next few weeks. See which one sticks for you.

Tip #1: Be open and receptive to their honesty.

Tip #2: Help them discover their "thing":

Tip #3: Don't do things for them that they can do themselves. (Aka the Gradual release of responsibility)

As always, I'd love to hear from you and you tell me the one tip that you're going to try over the next few weeks.  You never have to be perfect, you just need to keep showing up for yourself and for them.

Like what you hear? Keep listening to the Elevated Adolescence Podcast