Do you ever wish someone would just give you the playbook for how to parent?

Same.

I admitted that to Dr. Leigh Weisz, my guest on this week’s episode of Why Didn’t They Tell Us, while talking about how to raise children to become confident and independent adults.

Dr. Weisz humored my request for a "mom manual" but also noted that we in fact have too many manuals.

I know this to be true because I’ve lived it.

Constantly wondering and worrying if my choices were serving or stifling my kids’ growth. Then looking to external sources like a friend or Google to validate my decision, only to be confronted by conflicting opinions on the “right” way to do it.

I still have these moments, but when I do I come back to what I know about self-confidence and the tools I teach my clients.

Self-confidence allows you to trust yourself and know the decision you are making is the right one for you.

Self-confidence allows you to sit with the negative emotions that arise every time you make a hard choice or draw a hard line.

Self-confidence allows you to show yourself so much love and compassion when you do miss the mark, and fuels you with the courage to own up to your mistake and try again.

When you can lean into that for yourself, you can model it for your kids.

THAT is the manual we all need.

It’s no surprise that self-confidence was on Dr. Weisz’s list of characteristics teens need to become thriving adults.

Tune in to this week’s episode to hear the other characteristics she cites, as well as what we can do (and stop doing) as parents to foster these attributes in our kids.

And if you're looking for easy ways to help your teen cultivate self-confidence, be sure to grab my free guide here.

xo,