Elise Hu

This talk was fact-checked by the TED Research Team and produced and edited by our team, Martha Estefanos, Oliver Friedman, Brian Green, Lucy Little, and Tansika Sangmarnivong.

This episode was mixed by Christopher Fasey-Bogan.

Additional support from Emma Taubner and Daniela Balarezo.

I'm Elise Hugh.

I'll be back tomorrow with a fresh idea for your feed.

Thanks for listening.

You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas and conversations to spark your curiosity every day.

I'm your host, Elise Hu.

Could exposing kids to their fears help them thrive later on in life?

In my house, we talk a lot about trying new things, trying things that scare us, because it helps us learn to be brave.

In this talk, pediatric psychologist Catherine Hecht shows that parenting for confidence by encouraging children to handle discomfort with some support builds resilience, courage, and lasting self-belief.

Through personal stories and practical strategies, she shares the secret playbook for raising children ready to meet life's challenges.

Hey, y'all, Elise here.

That shock and awe you just heard from the audience is because Catherine, who until this moment was holding her shoe in her hand, had just licked the bottom of her dirty shoe and then put it back on.

Jumping back in quickly to describe the image that just flashed on the screen behind Catherine, we see Sammy in a full beekeeper suit, which is covered by real bees.

You just make out his face through the hooded net, and he is smiling.

The audience jumps into applause as Sammy walks on stage, followed by a group of young people all carrying signs with words that describe their personal fears, like flying, germs, and the dark.

They stand around Katherine.

That was Katherine Hecht at TEDxMinneapolis in 2025.

If you're curious about TED's curation, find out more at TED.com slash curation guidelines.