What Girls Really Need to Build Confidence in Today’s World

The three-part Confidence Co-LAB series guides young girls through the layered challenges of comparison, identity, and voice

Confidence isn’t something girls are simply born with. It’s something they learn, practice, and grow into—especially during the years when they’re still discovering who they are.

This is the heart behind the 2026 Confidence Co-LAB Series, a three-part workshop created for girls aged 8 to 12. Beginning March 7 at SPATIO, Opus Mall, the series is designed to help young girls build confidence from the inside out, during a stage of life when comparison, peer pressure, and self-doubt often quietly take root.

For many parents, this is also one of the most delicate seasons of raising daughters. Social media exposes them to curated versions of beauty, success, and belonging. At the same time, friendships deepen, identities form, and questions about self-worth begin to surface.

Recognizing these realities, KOA activewear owner and mother Raelene Clarke created the Confidence Co-LAB Series as a space where girls can better understand themselves—and feel less alone in the process.

Confidence as a Skill, Not a Trait

Raelene believes confidence is something that can be taught.

“Too often, we treat confidence as something girls either ‘have’ or ‘don’t have,’” she shares with Modern Parenting. “But what I’ve seen, both as a mother and through running Co-LABs, is that confidence is built through understanding, practice, and connection.”

She explains that ages 8 to 12 are a critical window for emotional development.

“This is when comparison begins to intensify, identity starts forming more clearly, and girls begin making quiet decisions about who they think they are,” she says. “If we wait until their confidence has already taken a hit, we’re reacting instead of equipping.”

Rather than simply encouraging girls to “be confident,” the workshop focuses on helping them understand why certain feelings exist in the first place.

“We help them unpack why comparison happens, why fitting in can feel safer, and why staying quiet sometimes feels easier,” Raelene explains. “When they understand the root causes, they stop thinking something is wrong with them—and that’s incredibly powerful.”

This approach aligns with KOA’s deeper mission. While the brand creates functional activewear, its larger goal is to help girls feel strong in their own skin, both physically and emotionally.

Creating Space for Understanding and Expression

The Confidence Co-LAB Series will unfold across three sessions, each addressing a core part of a girl’s emotional journey:

• March 7 — Comparison
  Why does comparing ourselves to others make us feel smaller?
• April 11 — Identity
  Why does it sometimes feel easier to fit in than to be yourself?
• May 9 — Voice
  Why does it feel safer to stay quiet than to speak up?

Throughout the workshops, participants will:

• Explore the root causes behind confidence challenges
• Reflect on how comparison, silence, and pressure affect them
• Work in small groups to design practical confidence tools
• Present their ideas in a safe, supportive environment
• Contribute to the ongoing 100 Girl-Made Confidence Solutions book, created by girls for girls

For Raelene, one of the most important takeaways is giving girls the language to understand their emotions.

“Many girls feel things deeply but don’t yet have the words to explain what’s happening inside them,” she says. “When they can say, ‘This is comparison,’ or ‘This is me trying to fit in,’ they gain clarity instead of confusion.”

She also hopes they leave with practical tools they can use in everyday life—and the reassurance that their experiences are shared.

“There is something incredibly powerful about sitting in a room and realizing other girls feel the same fears, doubts, and pressures,” she adds. “Confidence grows in connection. When competition turns into sisterhood, everything shifts.”

The Role Parents Play at Home

While workshops like these can provide guidance, Raelene emphasizes that confidence is reinforced daily at home.

Children learn not just from what parents say, but from what they model.

“If we want girls to believe they are enough, we have to be mindful of how we speak about ourselves and others,” she says. “They notice when we compare ourselves, criticize our bodies, or judge other women.”

Parents can also shift conversations away from outcomes and toward effort and courage. Instead of focusing on winning, appearance, or popularity, questions like What did you try? What did you learn? What felt brave today? can help children develop a healthier sense of self.

Most importantly, parents can create space for honest conversations.

When a daughter says, “I feel like she’s better than me,” it can be tempting to dismiss the feeling. But listening—without immediately correcting—allows parents to help their child process and understand her emotions.

Because confidence doesn’t grow from constant reassurance alone. It grows when girls feel seen, heard, and supported—at home, in their communities, and within themselves. ✨

The Co-Lab series begins on March 7 at SPATIO, Opus Mall, at 10:30 am. Registration is free, and slots are limited. You can register through this link.

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