Tonight with your 5 to 8 year old

The prompt

“What does feeling confident feel like right before you try something brand new?”

What to listen for

A physical, energized description ("like bubbles," "like I'm ready to jump") shows they already have a felt sense of confidence they can recognize and lean into, a great tool to name next time they're nervous.

If they describe it mixed with nervousness ("excited but also a little scared"), that's a very mature, accurate answer, reflect back that both feelings can exist together and that's completely normal.

If they say they never feel confident before new things, gently ask about a specific recent "first time" to help them find and name the feeling in a real memory.

What this tells you

This shows how in touch they are with their own courage, and whether they can access it before doing something hard.