At Epic, we’re all about empowering kids to follow their dreams and lead healthy, happy lives. Now, as Women’s History Month comes to a close, we want to take a moment to celebrate girl power! Read on for some tips on helping them discover their strengths, become more confident and grow up to make their own mark on the world.
1. Help her find her voice.
Encouraging your kid to express herself can help build self-confidence, independence, creativity and self advocacy—all important traits to carry throughout life. From a young age, girls disproportionately experience pressure to be “sweet” or please others. According to this article from Psychology Today, “From a young age, women receive messages about how to be nice, compliant, accommodate others, and gain approval…” As a parent and mentor, you can encourage your kid to voice her opinions, disagree respectfully, open up about her emotions and speak out when she’s uncomfortable. Let her know that it’s possible to cooperate with others while prioritizing her own goals and boundaries, and that it’s okay to be assertive.
2. Give space for emotions.
It’s not uncommon for girls to hear that they’re “overly sensitive” or “emotional” when expressing their feelings. But boys experience big emotions, too, and that’s a good thing. Emotional intelligence and empathy can be an absolute asset in succeeding now and in the future. Help your kid hone her emotions and relate to others by encouraging her to express her feelings in appropriate ways and validating what she’s experiencing. And when she’s upset or angry, give her space to express herself and show appreciation for her opening up instead of trying to cheer her up and “fix” it.
3. Ask for her opinion.
Research shows that women are often under-represented in leadership, a situation that can be remedied in part by instilling leadership skills early on. What better place to start shaping future leaders than by giving them the opportunity to weigh in on and influence important aspects of their world? Like grownups, kids appreciate being consulted. Instead of making plans for weekend and after-school activities, try presenting your child with options. When she comes to you with a problem, ask her what she thinks she should do before readily offering a solution.
4. Try new things together.
According to the Harvard Graduate School of Education: “Girls’ lack of confidence appears to be one of the strongest factors deterring them from pursuing leadership, and skill development can boost girls’ confidence.” Help your kid build skills by trying new things and adopting a growth mindset (the process of improving abilities over time through practice and learning). It’ll give her the courage to fail without fear, and the grit to persevere when things get tough. Model a growth mindset yourself by taking on a new challenge or hobby and showing her that it’s okay to make mistakes.
5. Show her the sky’s the limit.
Does your kid dream of becoming an artist? A scientist? A famous film director? We’ve come a long way, but research shows that girls still receive messages laden with gender biases from a young age. Let her know that she can—and should—dream big and cross any barrier in pursuit of her goals. Expose her to a wide range of professions, whether traditionally male or female, and explore them together. Even if her dreams change every week, lean into what inspires her with fun activities that encourage exploration and discovery.
6. Embrace role models.
You may be your kid’s favorite adult but you’re only one person. The world is full of powerful female role models, past and present, who’ve achieved historic firsts, broken barriers, spoken truth to power and defied gender expectations. And the perfect place to start learning about them is in a book. Check out this post or browse one of our many collections on Epic to inspire your child to reach for the sky through the lives of history’s most amazing women.
7. Nurture confidence & self worth.
Last but not least: Don’t underestimate the power of words. Find moments in your day-to-day to say something encouraging, just because. Here are some phrases you can try out to remind her of her value.
- I love you no matter what.
- You’re so important to me.
- I am so proud of you!
- You have great ideas.
- I believe in you!
- You make me happy.
- You are powerful and passionate.
Those are our tips! In honor of Women’s History Month and all year around, we hope you’ve found some helpful tidbits on this list to empower your child.
