In 1940, an African American girl named Wilma Rudolph was born prematurely in Tennessee. She contracted a form of polio, leading to infantile paralysis, and doctors told her parents she would never walk again. But her mother refused to accept this prognosis.
Despite having 19 other children and limited resources, Wilma’s mother took her on 50-mile bus rides twice a week for therapy and enlisted Wilma’s siblings to help with exercises at home. By age eight, Wilma was walking without braces. At 16, she competed in the 1956 Olympics, and in 1960, she won three gold medals, earning the title “the fastest woman in the world.”
When asked about overcoming her disability, Wilma said, “My doctors told me I would never walk again. My mama told me I would. And I believed my mother.”
Wilma’s powerful words highlight the immense impact a parent's encouragement can have on a child’s life.
Question: What if you became your child’s biggest cheerleader? What if you were the one person they could count on every day to believe in them and speak life into them? Imagine the impact this could have on your child’s confidence and hope.
Are you that person? Do you want to be? You can.
At Crazy Cool Family, we can’t teach everything in one Practical Parenting tip, but we offer extensive resources to help you become an encouraging, inspiring parent. Our best resource is our Guide to Creating Family Culture (available with special pricing at our special offer page). This guide includes a complete section on the Power of Encouragement and comes with a free video course.
Just like Wilma Rudolph’s mother, you can have an incredible impact on your child’s life with the power of your words.
