GREENSBORO, N.C. — In honor of National Women’s History Month, I’m talking about ways to help your daughter become a bold and confident young lady.
Speaking up for herself, others, or for what she believes is right, she’ll face some criticism because not everyone will agree.
In those moments, she might not feel very confident. Here are a few of my suggestions to help your daughter exude confidence when she’s feeling nervous.
In the U.S., eye contact is a great way to show confidence. Some girls who might be second-guessing themselves because of any criticism, might pull their chin down. And that chin down can be undermine their perceived confidence.
Instead, your daughter will want to give eye contact with her chin level as she speaks.
I describe the hands as an emotional barometer because you can see anything from relaxation to stress to anger in the hands.
When your daughter is facing difficult conversations, then show her how to do a hand steeple when she’s talking about important points. The hand steeple exudes confidence and authority.
When your daughter is nervous or scared, her face, neck, and vocal cords (vocal folds) can tense up.
Her vocal cords can get out of whack and her voice can shake as a result. To relax, here are a couple of tips.
A big, exaggerated, out-of-proportion smile to no smile can relax facial muscles. And a speech-language pathologist, Jackie Gartner- Schmidt, suggests that holding your index finger a few inches in front of your mouth as you blow air out and say “woo” helps relax your vocal cords so you don’t sound as shaky.
Share your thoughts on my Facebook page: Blanca Cobb – Body Language Expert.
Write a message on my timeline and I’ll get back to you. While you’re on my page, I’d appreciate if you give my page a “like”.