This month, as we celebrate women in leadership, I wanted to take just a moment of your time to talk about ways we can build confidence and self-worth in girls.
My daughter, Isabella, has so many wonderful qualities. Not only do I want her to believe and know how valuable she is in God’s eyes, but I also want her to grow up in a healthy environment where her strengths are valued.
You don’t have to look far to find statistics about girls and self-esteem. Knowing these troubling facts makes me want to work diligently to raise a strong daughter.
Continual Reminders - I continually remind my daughter how important she is, and I praise her for her strengths. I am not building up her physical beauty, I am building up the God-given characteristics I see. During family prayer time, I thank God for the positive things I’ve noticed in her character.
Paul tells us, "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline" (2 Tim. 1:7).
Open Communication - when she is feeling down, or struggling with something personal, I want her to be able to talk with me. I want to remind her how valuable she is in Christ — that even when doing the right thing is hard, it’s so important. Keeping the communication line open is essential.
The Psalmist tells us, “You are the one who put me together inside my mother’s body, and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvelous! Of this, I have no doubt" (Ps. 139:13–14).
Model Behavior - this one is harder, but I am always trying to do better. As her mom, I want to model strength, love and grace. I can do that successfully only through my reliance on the Holy Spirit. I also want to expose her to other godly, strong and successful women. By showing her, practically, what a strong woman in Christ is, she can see that this is possible.
A favorite verse of mine is, "I can do all this through Him who gives me strength" (Phil. 4:13).
These are just three ways to help build self-confidence and self-worth in your daughters. And of course, these principles are not just for our daughters. My son is also benefiting from these efforts. Our children are so valuable in the eyes of our Savior. Let us all simply take time to bond with our children, communicate openly, model healthy behavior, and give heaps of grace and love, while relying on help from our God.
Let us claim the verse in Timothy; you can even place your child’s name in the verse: "Timothy, my child, Christ Jesus is kind, and you must let Him make you strong" (2 Tim. 2:1).
LaVonne and her daughter, Isabella.
