Words That Stick

The phrases you repeat become your child's inner voice. Choose them as carefully as you would choose a tattoo — because that is essentially what they are, written on your child's self-concept. Confidence-building phrases sound like:

• "That was brave" normalizes courage.
• "What do you think?" trusts their judgment.
• "You handled that well" recognizes competence.
• "I noticed you helped without being asked" sees their character.

The goal is internal satisfaction, not a child performing for your applause.