We say we want our kids to be resilient.
To have confidence.
To take a stand.

But what happens when they talk back, disagree or express frustration to us, our first reaction might be: “That’s disrespectful!”

What if it’s not talking back…what if it’s speaking up?

Since they’re still learning how to express themselves, their words won’t always come out the right way. They might speak louder or sharper than we’d like—not because they’re being disrespectful, but because they’re still figuring out how to speak in a way that gets heard.

If we want our kids to speak up with confidence and share what they feel, we can’t shut them down the moment it’s hard for us to hear.

What if we paused before reacting?
What if we asked ourselves: “Are they being rude… or are they trying to be real?”

Instead of seeing defiance, we see courage.
Instead of shutting it down, we see an opening—for connection, and maybe even conversation.

This is what I know: When we give kids space to speak up—without fear of being shut down—we’re helping them build the very skills we say we value: Confidence. Courage. Character.

Until next time…