February 2023
When children grow up with a healthy sense of confidence, they are empowered to discover their inner strength, find their voice, and thrive in today’s world.
At this month’s Family Engagement session, Raising Confidence, Girls Group families came together to address this important topic. The group started by identifying common pressures and negative messages their children receive from social media, TV shows, and movies, then came up with strategies to help them build strong self esteem in the face of these pressures.
Along with these strategies, the group also explored a variety of confidence-building tools, tips, and tricks and shared ideas with each other to help their children build self-compassion, confidence, and pride.
Specifically, families explored the Search Institute’s 5 evidence-based ways to build positive relationships with youth: (1) Express Care, (2) Challenge Growth, (3) Provide Support, (4) Share power (5) Expand Possibilities.
Parents reflected on how the 5 categories show up in their households overall and noted that every child has a different personality and different needs. They shared which strategies came most naturally to them and which were more challenging to utilize.
We are grateful for the deep conversations, support, and laughs Girls Group families and staff have been able to have together. One parent shared, “More parents should come to these sessions because I think they are really helpful.”