When Encouragement Backfires — What to Say (and Not Say) in Everyday Moments

Welcome to Raising Confident Girls. In this episode, Melissa Jones explores a topic that sits at the heart of so many well-intentioned parenting moments: encouragement. While encouragement is meant to lift girls up, Melissa unpacks how it can sometimes land as pressure—creating anxiety, self-doubt, or a quiet fear of disappointing the people they love most.

With warmth and clarity, Melissa helps parents recognize the subtle emotional signals girls send when encouragement feels overwhelming rather than supportive. She explains why confidence grows not through pushing or fixing, but through connection—by slowing down, listening carefully, and creating a safe emotional space where girls can share their feelings without fear of judgment or expectation.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why encouragement can sometimes feel like pressure instead of support
• How parental expectations—spoken or unspoken—shape a girl’s inner dialogue
• The emotional signals girls send when they feel overwhelmed or inadequate
• Why connection matters more than correction in building confidence
• How creating emotional safety allows girls to express themselves honestly
• The long-term impact of feeling understood, not evaluated

Join Melissa for this thoughtful and reassuring conversation that invites parents to rethink encouragement—shifting from performance to presence, and from expectation to empathy—so girls can build confidence that truly lasts.

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