I came downstairs to the sound of someone running. Dumbfounded by the sight, I stood at the bottom of the stair watching for a moment. My eldest daughter was running back and forth from the living room to our family room, full bore.
After a couple minutes I finally asked her what she was up to. “I’m practicing so I can be faster than the kids at church.” she said panting.
“Sweetie, they’re faster than you because they’re older.” I explained.
“That’s why I have to practice Mom. I’ll practice everyday and then when I’m 7 (she’s 6), I’ll be faster.”
Although I usually discourage running in the house, it was raining that day. What kind of Mom would I be if I interrupted such determination? I couldn’t help but be proud of her confidence.
As a Mom of two girls, I’m always looking for positive ways to build up their self-confidence and character. In a world where women are constantly pushed to focus on their looks, I want to encourage my daughters to value inner beauty first and appearances loosely.
While building confidence in young girls is easy to do. The right type of confidence is harder to instill. It’s an easy thing to tell my daughters they are beautiful, but what they really need to hear and experience is that they have purpose and meaning more valuable than anything in this world.
To do that, we expose them to challenges and new tasks that aren’t easy, letting them struggle and feel accomplishment when they finally finish. We try to give them real responsibility, and have them work hard for a goal. We let them dream and help them make those dreams become a reality. But most importantly, we communicate our love for them no matter the outcome of their efforts.
That’s why I’m so excited to announce that with a shared vision of unleashing confidence through accomplishment, LEGO® Friends has teamed up with Girls on the Run® (GOTR), a physical activity-based positive youth development program to inspire girls everywhere to achieve their limitless potential.
LEGO® is our favorite toy by far. So when the new LEGO® Friends line came out our girls were ecstatic. LEGO® Friends blend the iconic LEGO construction experience with stories, settings and themes designed to meet my children’s desire for creativity and a highly-detailed, character-based world. My daughters definitely relate better to these LEGOS® and so they play with them even more than before.
Since its launch in 2012, LEGO® Friends have dramatically increased the number of girls everywhere building with LEGO bricks and enjoying the benefits of construction play.
That’s important because construction play allows children to be creative in a way that combines logic and reasoning with playfulness and imagination. This type of play helps them grasp the importance of persistence as they develop a sense of pride for their completed model or their own creation.
But that’s not all my girls learn when they play with their LEGO® Friends sets especially if they collaborate.
Since Audrey is the oldest, when she works on building a set with her little sister Emma, she becomes a leader and director. If she’s too bossy, Emma won’t want to cooperate. If she encourages, Emma feels good about herself and Audrey’s position as a leader. As they work and play together, a special bond forms that is invaluable.
Sharing, taking turns, and complementing each other are things my daughters learn when they play with LEGOS®. Sure, they could play other things and learn the same thing, but LEGO® enhances their spatial visualization skills all at the same time. And nothing is quite like building your own little world.
My daughters seem to carry a lot of their day-to-day routines into their play. This is awesome to see as a parent because I know the healthy habits I’m working to instill are actually getting through!
As they built their new LEGO® Friends set, I asked them if they could own and run their own business what would it be? Audrey wanted to own a dress shop and Emma thought a candy store would be sweet. Both of those choices fit them perfectly and I can’t wait to encourage them to go after it!
I love inquiring about all their creations and watching them unravel a story with their LEGO® figures. There is something so satisfying about getting to know the imagination of your child.
It’s like getting to glimpse into their soul.
What do your children like to build with their LEGOS®? Do you have any tips on building confidence in children? I’d love to hear about it!
Thanks for reading!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
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