Who were you when you were little – were you the clever one, the sporty one, the quiet one, the anxious one ….? We are all the recipients of a unique narrative in childhood and this narrative, often lovingly bestowed, can have powerful consequences. Quite often the stories that we receive as children can perpetuate what we feel we can and can’t do. We often internalise the idea that we are too anxious to go for a part in the school play or too clumsy to try out for the school football team. This also works the other way - when children are given labels like bright or naturally gifted what the research now tells us is that these kids can often shy away from challenges because of the fear of failure and not living up to everyone’s expectations. When our children are repeatedly described in a particular way, they will start to believe these messages about themselves, and these beliefs can hold a strong influence across their social and academic functioning. Once children start a