{"id":8075,"date":"2025-10-17T06:40:21","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T06:40:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/?p=8075"},"modified":"2025-10-17T06:40:21","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T06:40:21","slug":"3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/","title":{"rendered":"3 things you can say to build your Child’s confidence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Every child wants to feel capable, valued, and loved. As parents, the words we use shape how our children see themselves \u2014 often more than we realise. Research from the Harvard Center on the Developing Child<\/em> <\/a>shows that children build confidence through secure relationships and consistent emotional support. And where better to offer that than around the dinner table?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At The Table Talk Project, we\u2019ve seen again and again how family conversations create a safe space for children to express themselves, share their ideas, and feel validated. Here are three things you can start saying today to build your child\u2019s confidence \u2014 especially while sharing a meal together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. \u201cI love how you tried\u2026\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Confidence grows when effort is recognised \u2014 not just outcomes. Instead of focusing on perfection (\u201cYou\u2019re so smart\u201d), praise persistence (\u201cI love how you kept trying, even when it was hard\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to psychologist Dr Carol Dweck\u2019s<\/em> research<\/a> on growth mindset, children who are praised for effort develop resilience and a stronger sense of self-belief. So next time you\u2019re at the table, ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s something you tried this week that didn\u2019t go as planned \u2014 and what did you learn from it?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a powerful way to show them that trying is more important than winning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. \u201cI really value your opinion.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Children gain confidence when their voice matters. When they\u2019re invited to share their perspective \u2014 and you genuinely listen \u2014 it communicates that they are worthy of being heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During dinner, this could sound like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cI\u2019d love to know what you think about that,\u201d
or
\u201cThat\u2019s an interesting idea \u2014 tell me more.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

A University of Melbourne<\/em> study (2021)<\/a> found that children who feel their opinions are respected at home are more likely to show leadership and confidence in school and social settings. Family mealtimes are the perfect moment to practise this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Table Talk Project\u2019s Back at the Table<\/em> web app<\/a> makes it easy, with conversation starters designed to get everyone sharing their thoughts \u2014 from \u201cWhat\u2019s something you\u2019re proud of this week?\u201d to \u201cWhat\u2019s a challenge you\u2019ve overcome recently?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. \u201cYou make a difference in our family.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Confidence also comes from belonging. When a child knows their presence and contribution matter, they build a sense of purpose that lasts a lifetime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might say this after they\u2019ve helped with dinner or comforted a sibling:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cYou really helped make tonight special,\u201d or
\u201cYou bring such good energy to our table.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Family researcher Dr Anne Fishel<\/em> from the Harvard Family Dinner Project<\/a> notes that regular shared meals improve children\u2019s self-esteem, academic performance, and overall wellbeing \u2014 not because of the food, but because of the connection. When children feel like they belong, they flourish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bringing it All Together<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t need perfect parenting moments \u2014 just intentional ones. Every time you sit down for dinner and create space for real conversation, you\u2019re quietly building your child\u2019s self-worth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So tonight, as you sit around the table, try saying:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cI love how you tried.\u201d
\u201cI value your opinion.\u201d
\u201cYou make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019re small phrases that can build lifelong confidence – one meal, one conversation, one \u201cpass the potatoes\u201d at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udf7d\ufe0f Try our Back at the Table<\/em> app<\/a> for conversation starters that help families talk, listen, and grow closer \u2014 together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to have one of our team come and share with your organisation about how The Table Talk Project can support your families please get in touch at admin@thetabletalkproject.org<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every child wants to feel capable, valued, and loved. As parents, the words we use shape how our children see themselves \u2014 often more than we realise. Research from the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8076,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47,1],"tags":[724,314,635,282,723,725,643],"class_list":{"0":"post-8075","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-the-table-talk-news","8":"category-uncategorised","9":"tag-build-your-childs-confidence","10":"tag-child-development","11":"tag-family-dinner","12":"tag-parenting-tips","13":"tag-positive-language","14":"tag-self-esteem","15":"tag-table-talk"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n3 things you can say to build your Child's confidence - The Table Talk Project<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Simple, science-backed phrases parents can use to build their child\u2019s confidence and self-worth \u2014 plus how family dinner conversations can help.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"3 things you can say to build your Child's confidence - The Table Talk Project\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Simple, science-backed phrases parents can use to build their child\u2019s confidence and self-worth \u2014 plus how family dinner conversations can help.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Table Talk Project\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-17T06:40:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/3-things-you-can-say-to-build-your-childs-confidence-1024x576.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"576\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"neilallenmilton\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"neilallenmilton\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"neilallenmilton\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/#\/schema\/person\/654de2b961b929fec485d928fda1d270\"},\"headline\":\"3 things you can say to build your Child’s confidence\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-17T06:40:21+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/\"},\"wordCount\":596,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/3-things-you-can-say-to-build-your-childs-confidence.png\",\"keywords\":[\"build your child\u2019s confidence\",\"child development\",\"family dinner\",\"parenting tips\",\"positive language\",\"self-esteem\",\"table talk\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Table Talk News\",\"Uncategorised\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/\",\"name\":\"3 things you can say to build your Child's confidence - The Table Talk Project\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/3-things-you-can-say-to-build-your-childs-confidence.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-17T06:40:21+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/#\/schema\/person\/654de2b961b929fec485d928fda1d270\"},\"description\":\"Simple, science-backed phrases parents can use to build their child\u2019s confidence and self-worth \u2014 plus how family dinner conversations can help.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/3-things-you-can-say-to-build-your-childs-confidence.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/3-things-you-can-say-to-build-your-childs-confidence.png\",\"width\":2240,\"height\":1260},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"3 things you can say to build your Child’s confidence\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/\",\"name\":\"The Table Talk Project\",\"description\":\"HELPING YOU HAVE MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE DINNER TABLE\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/#\/schema\/person\/654de2b961b929fec485d928fda1d270\",\"name\":\"neilallenmilton\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f6d3d556d1b69fbeccb961a4a619ecb7ab5a60dc92dbb172abf53c300f9ccc14?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f6d3d556d1b69fbeccb961a4a619ecb7ab5a60dc92dbb172abf53c300f9ccc14?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"neilallenmilton\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/author\/neilallenmilton\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"3 things you can say to build your Child's confidence - The Table Talk Project","description":"Simple, science-backed phrases parents can use to build their child\u2019s confidence and self-worth \u2014 plus how family dinner conversations can help.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"3 things you can say to build your Child's confidence - The Table Talk Project","og_description":"Simple, science-backed phrases parents can use to build their child\u2019s confidence and self-worth \u2014 plus how family dinner conversations can help.","og_url":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/","og_site_name":"The Table Talk Project","article_published_time":"2025-10-17T06:40:21+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":576,"url":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/3-things-you-can-say-to-build-your-childs-confidence-1024x576.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"neilallenmilton","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"neilallenmilton","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/"},"author":{"name":"neilallenmilton","@id":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/#\/schema\/person\/654de2b961b929fec485d928fda1d270"},"headline":"3 things you can say to build your Child’s confidence","datePublished":"2025-10-17T06:40:21+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/"},"wordCount":596,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/3-things-you-can-say-to-build-your-childs-confidence.png","keywords":["build your child\u2019s confidence","child development","family dinner","parenting tips","positive language","self-esteem","table talk"],"articleSection":["Table Talk News","Uncategorised"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/","url":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/","name":"3 things you can say to build your Child's confidence - The Table Talk Project","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/3-things-you-can-say-to-build-your-childs-confidence.png","datePublished":"2025-10-17T06:40:21+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/#\/schema\/person\/654de2b961b929fec485d928fda1d270"},"description":"Simple, science-backed phrases parents can use to build their child\u2019s confidence and self-worth \u2014 plus how family dinner conversations can help.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/3-things-you-can-say-to-build-your-childs-confidence.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/3-things-you-can-say-to-build-your-childs-confidence.png","width":2240,"height":1260},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/3-things-to-build-your-childs-confidence\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"3 things you can say to build your Child’s confidence"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/","name":"The Table Talk Project","description":"HELPING YOU HAVE MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE DINNER TABLE","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/#\/schema\/person\/654de2b961b929fec485d928fda1d270","name":"neilallenmilton","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f6d3d556d1b69fbeccb961a4a619ecb7ab5a60dc92dbb172abf53c300f9ccc14?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f6d3d556d1b69fbeccb961a4a619ecb7ab5a60dc92dbb172abf53c300f9ccc14?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"neilallenmilton"},"url":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/author\/neilallenmilton\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8075","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8075"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8075\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8076"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetabletalkproject.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}