Many girls learn very early that getting things ‘right’ matters. They want to be good at school, good at friendships, good at hobbies and often quietly expect themselves to succeed straight away. The problem is that confidence built only on success can become fragile. A growth mindset helps girls understand that abilities are not fixed and that mistakes, practice and setbacks are all part of learning. The term ‘growth mindset’ was coined by psychologist Carol Dweck and simply

When you’re raising girls aged 8 to 12, it can feel like the world changes every five minutes. Confidence wobbles appear out of nowhere, friendships become more complicated, big feelings get bigger. We love these TED Talks because they take huge ideas about childhood, confidence and wellbeing and make them practical, hopeful and easy to understand. These are some of our favourites for parents of tweens – thoughtful, evidence-informed and genuinely useful. 1. Kathryn Hecht: Ho

Setbacks are part of growing up: friendship fallouts, tricky school moments, not getting picked, getting something wrong in front of others. These experiences can feel big, but they’re also where resilience is built. At Fearless Girls Club, we focus on confidence, not compliance. That means helping girls understand themselves, trust their voice and learn how to handle challenges in a way that actually strengthens them. Resilience is knowing what to do when things feel hard, a

Finding meaningful gifts for girls aged 8–12 isn’t straightforward. Many options are designed for quick entertainment rather than curiosity, independence or confidence. If you are looking for gifts for tweens that actually engage and challenge, the focus needs to shift towards experiences, not just products. This guide brings together practical gift ideas for girls that encourage thinking, creativity and exploration – with one option that delivers all of this in a single, ong

The Easter holidays can be a chance for a bit of a reset. Slower mornings, less rushing about and a bit more unhurried time together. That makes it a great window to build confidence in simple, everyday ways. Here are some easy, low-pressure games you can try at home to help boost self-esteem in girls aged 8 to 12. 1. The ‘I Can’ Challenge Write a mix of small challenges on slips of paper and pop them in a jar. Think: “Teach me something you know’, ‘Try something new’, ‘Intro

Co-Authored with Kathryn Nash, Certified Trichologist Hair loss in tween girls is more common than many parents realise. It can feel worrying, especially between ages 8 and 12 when confidence is closely tied to appearance and fitting in. The good news is that most childhood hair loss is temporary and treatable once the cause is identified. We’ve put together a quick guide for parents with trichologist Kathryn Nash (a specialist in the science of the hair and scalp). Kathryn

Choosing gifts for girls aged 8 to 12 is really challenging and it’s so hard not to just feel like you’re buying more pointless ‘stuff’. The most worthwhile gifts for tween girls build capability, stretch thinking and get used long after the wrapping paper is ripped away. If you are searching for girls' gift ideas that feel purposeful rather than wasteful, these are strong options. 1. Engineering Kits Example: K’NEX Thrill Rides Web Weaver Roller Coaster Building Set For girl

At Fearless Girls Club, we treat confidence like a muscle that needs to be regularly used and trained to stay healthy. Every single club session and subscription box magazine includes a Power Boost – a short, focused wellbeing activity designed to build three core capacities: mindfulness, grounding and regulation. Mindfulness is the ability to pay attention to the present moment with intention. Grounding techniques help bring attention back to the here and now when thoughts

The Christmas holidays can be brilliant but are also completely unhinged. Excitement, sugar, late nights, people (SO many people), disrupted routines and nowhere to be by 9am is a potent mix. Big feelings in our tween girls are not a failure of parenting or personality, they’re a predictable response to chaos. This is the evidence-based framework we use when things start to unravel in our houses. 1. Sleep matters more than Christmas spirit You do not need a perfect bedtime, b

The new year arrives with equal parts excitement and pressure. For tween girls (aged 8 to 12), January can be a tricky mix of new school terms, fresh expectations and a lot of talk about goals. Even girls who usually seem steady can feel wobbly as routines restart and comparisons creep in. At this age self-esteem is naturally more fragile. Girls become more aware of what others think, and the pressure to be clever, sporty, popular or socially switched on can build fast. The a

We hear it all the time: “Other girls have problems, but my daughter’s fine”. She’s confident, fearless, bold. As a parent, I hear you – my daughter is fearless too. But that’s exactly why I’m doing everything I can to keep it that way. Because confidence isn’t permanent, it’s a muscle – and like any muscle, it needs regular use, training and reinforcement, or it starts to weaken. Bit by bit, the world teaches girls to soften, smooth over and shrink themselves, and even the m

The obsession with tween skin care, pushed by big brands and influencers, isn’t just about fun self-care. It can feed insecurity, perfectionism and comparison – pressures that quietly chip away at confidence. So how do you keep your girl fearless without squashing curiosity or saying a flat no to the latest serum?

Co-Authored with Dr Emma Hill, Educational Psychologist at ELLES Psychology There’s a concept that teachers swear by but most parents haven’t heard of, and it might just change the way you support your kids. It’s called scaffolding. Think of it as temporary support that you build around your child; strong enough to help her reach new heights, but designed to come down as she grows steady on her own. This idea sits right in the middle of one of the trickiest parts of parenting

Buying gifts for girls aged 8 to 12 can be tricky, so we've done the hard work for you with our Christmas Gift Guide. Here are eleven of our favourite girl power Christmas gift ideas for girls aged 8 to 12 – Empowering gifts that spark creativity, confidence and fun! Many are from small UK businesses so you can support indie makers while gifting something special. The final one is, of course, our Fearless Girls Club subscription box! 1. Escape Room In A Box Turn your living

I think we’d all agree that friendships in the tween years can be both magical and messy. Misunderstandings, disagreements and being deliberately left out are all common but heartbreaking to witness as a parent – and it’s tricky for us to know when to step in or let girls work things out themselves. It’s why we include ‘Friendships’ as a specific Club Quest topic, so we’re laying the groundwork for healthy friendships in our clubs and through our monthly subscription boxes

When it comes to raising confident girls, there’s no shortage of advice out there. But much of it is based on ideas that don’t quite hold up in real life. At Fearless Girls Club, we spend a lot of time listening to girls and working with them – and we’ve found that the path to confidence isn’t always what the books or quick-fix tips suggest. Myth 1: Being confident means being loud and annoying Confidence often gets confused with extroversion or even arrogance, especially in

Co-Authored with Dr Emma Hill, Educational Psychologist at ELLES Psychology For girls aged 8 to 12, failure and rejection can feel...

Co-authored with Jenny Dart, Women's Alpine Adventure Club There’s something quietly radical about a group of girls pitching tents,...

“Feelings don’t overwhelm kids. Feeling alone with their feelings overwhelms kids.” This quote from clinical psychologist Dr Becky...

Co-Authored with Dr Emma Hill, Educational Psychologist at ELLES Psychology Plus: A Free Parent and Child Affirmations Printable! We talk...