03/30/2026
On the way to pick up my son from school, I caught myself doing what so many of us do…
“Is he really sick? Is he exaggerating? Is this a way to get out of class?”
And then he threw up the second we walked out the door.
Here’s the humbling truth:
Our kids are telling us who they are and what they feel in real time—and when we don’t believe them, we don’t just miss the moment… we shape how safe it feels for them to come to us in the future.
From a developmental standpoint, being believed matters more than being “right.”
When children feel dismissed, they start to question their own internal experience:
👉 “Maybe I’m overreacting.”
👉 “Maybe my feelings don’t make sense.”
👉 “Maybe I shouldn’t say anything next time.”
But when they feel believed—even if we’re unsure—we build:
✔ Emotional safety
✔ Trust in the parent-child relationship
✔ Confidence in their own body and feelings
Believing our kids doesn’t mean we never set boundaries.
It means we lead with curiosity before correction.
I’m still practicing this too. 💛
