In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Brooke Romney, a writer and parenting expert who focuses on helping parents navigate the teenage years with confidence and grace. Brooke shares her journey from blogging about family activities to becoming a go-to resource for parents of teens, offering invaluable insights on building confidence, fostering independence, and maintaining strong relationships with our children as they grow.

Key Takeaways:

1. Evolution of purpose: Brooke's path from writing about family activities to addressing the unique challenges of parenting teens demonstrates how our callings can evolve over time.
2. Confidence through action: True confidence comes from doing hard things and overcoming challenges, not from constant praise or shielding from difficulties.
3. Empowering vs. rescuing: Parents should focus on empowering their children to handle challenges rather than always trying to rescue them from discomfort.
4. Character-based compliments: Praise children for their character traits and efforts rather than just outcomes or innate abilities.
5. Intentional parenting decisions: Make choices based on love and empowerment rather than fear and guilt.
6. Social skills as learned abilities: Recognize that social confidence and skills can be developed with practice and guidance.
7. Modeling growth mindset: Show children how to receive feedback and grow from challenges by doing so yourself.

Actionable Tips:

1. Encourage your teens to do things that feel hard, allowing them to build competence and confidence.
2. When giving compliments, focus on internal qualities and character traits rather than just external achievements.
3. Create opportunities for your children to contribute meaningfully at home and in their communities.
4. Practice taking feedback gracefully and model how to grow from constructive criticism.
5. When making parenting decisions, ask yourself if you're acting out of fear and guilt or love and empowerment.
6. Help your children develop social skills and manners to increase their confidence in various situations.
7. Allow your children to experience natural consequences and learn from their mistakes instead of always rescuing them.

Resources Mentioned:

• Brooke's Instagram: @brookeromnywrites
• 52 Modern Manners for Teens 
• 52 Modern Manners for Kids 

 

Remember, building confidence in our teens starts with cultivating our own unshakable confidence as parents. By focusing on character development, providing opportunities for growth, and maintaining open communication, we can help our children navigate the challenging teen years with resilience and self-assurance.