Her strengths and personal truths fill the bottom two quarters of her shield. In the bottom left, she can choose a strength from what other people see in her. In the bottom right, one truth about herself, beginning with "I", such as "I can feel fear and still move forward."

In class, your daughter will hear how Thea sees herself through other people's eyes, and discovers they remember kindnesses and brave moments she had almost forgotten. At home, she'll explore what others see in her, and might choose to question a worry with her Fair Companion.

How you can help 
     • Before the conversation, she'll ask three people who know her well: "What's something you've noticed I'm good at?"
       You may be one of them. Answer with something specific, and a moment when you saw it.
     • Help her reach the other two, perhaps a sibling, a friend's parent, a coach or a teacher.
     • Help her and her Fair Companion find a time and cosy moment together of around 1 hour, and make sure she has her  
       envelope contents  with her.

Please remember 
In this tent she may name a worry. Most will be everyday ones, like putting her hand up in class or fitting in with friends. If she shares one with you, listen first. You don't need to fix it. If a worry feels bigger, or comes up again and again, please talk with her and, if necessary, reach out to the school's Guidance Counsellor for support.

There are no right answers. She may keep some reflections private, and that's okay. Her booklet is hers.

In the Hall of Mirrors, you help her see what she sometimes forgets to see or doesn't see for herself, and you may glimpse yourself at fourteen along the way.

Before you meet She'll have asked three people what they've noticed she's good at, and written down a moment she'd almost forgotten: a time she helped someone, made someone feel welcome, or did something she didn't think she could. Let her share these first, and enjoy them with her.

Finding the truth beneath a worry. In the story 
Thea doesn't put her hand up in class because she's scared of getting it wrong. Evelyn asks, "And what would getting it wrong mean?" You might like to try this together:
     1. A worry I have. Let her name one. Keep it everyday and small.
     2. What I fear it would mean. Ask gently, as Evelyn did. Often the real fear sits underneath, such as "people will think I'm not
        clever."
     3. The truth about me. Help her find something true and kind to say instead, beginning with "I". This may become the truth on
         her crest.

Listen more than you advise 
You don't need to solve the worry, only help her see it more clearly. If she shares something that feels bigger than an everyday worry, please let her parents know, so they can find the right support.

What she'll ask you 
Take a moment beforehand to think about these:
      • If you looked in a mirror at 14, who would you see? What were you like?
      • Was there a time you held back because you were scared of getting it wrong?
      • What is something true about yourself that you only realised later in life?
      • What are you still discovering about yourself now?

How to share your story 
Offer a short, honest memory, then turn the focus back to her. Your story is a doorway she walks through, not a room you dwell in. Like Evelyn, you may find the mirror shows you more than you expected: the girl you were, the busy years, and the time of life you're in now.

It's fine to tell her you're still discovering things about yourself. It shows her self-awareness is something we keep growing into.

The question to prepare for 
She'll ask: "What do you see in me that I sometimes forget to see?"

Come ready with something specific, and a small moment when you saw it. Thea's friends remembered her making room for a new girl at lunch and showing a friend how to draw a bird. Small moments like these often mean the most.

Keep it open 
     • If her question surprises you, invite her to ask "Why?" or "What happened next?"
     • If a question feels too big for today, it's fine to move on.
     • Her booklet is private. Let her decide what to share.

Before you finish 
Her last step is to write down "something she sees in me." You might tell her one thing that she reflects back to you, too.

Your next visit explores the Essence Tent.  A place to play, to be creative, to share a passion, to have fun together.