It’s the perfect time of year, as school is starting again, to look your child in the eye and tell them “I have faith in you!”. They will appreciate your confidence in them. I believe they will rise to the occasion and be a better student and friend. They will also probably feel relieved hearing it. They know what we wish they would do differently and they know perfectly well about their perceived ‘failures’. But do they know we still have faith that they can have a great year? That we do still trust them and think highly of them?
There was a time when one of our kids was struggling and not at their best. I realized one day that we were always talking about what they needed to do better, tips on how to succeed, etc., etc. I suddenly felt the need to tell them “I have faith in you”. That was all I said. I didn’t want to dilute it or say “BUT…..”. This kid looked at me with such relief that I nearly cried. They needed to hear it and I needed to say it. It felt really good.