There was a time not too long ago when I used to dread school events. While other children excitedly ran up on stage to speak, perform, or narrate stories, my daughter would cling to my arm, hiding her face behind me.

She’s always been bright and expressive at home — she’d chatter non-stop, tell me stories, act out scenes from her favorite cartoons. But the moment she stepped in front of an audience, something changed. She’d freeze. Her eyes would look down, her hands would tremble, and no amount of reassurance from me could make her take even a single step forward.

I used to tell myself, “Maybe she’ll grow out of it.” But deep down, I knew it wasn’t something that would just go away with age. This wasn’t about language; it was about fear — the fear of being seen, of being wrong, of being heard. And like any parent, it broke my heart a little every time I saw her hold herself back.

The Moment I Knew I Had to Do Something

It happened during a small class event. The teacher asked for volunteers to come forward and say a few lines. I whispered to her, “Do you want to try?” She shook her head firmly.

But when one of her friends went up, she watched with the kind of longing that only a parent can understand. She wanted to do it. She just couldn’t.

That night, I realized I couldn’t keep waiting for “someday.” She needed the right kind of support — not pressure, not force, but gentle, structured guidance to help her overcome her fear.

How I Found PlanetSpark (And My Initial Doubts)

A friend of mine had enrolled her son in PlanetSpark and kept talking about how much more confident he’d become. I remember laughing and saying, “Come on, how can an online class fix something like stage fear?”

I was skeptical. I’d already tried grammar tuitions and reading exercises. They helped her write better, but they didn’t help her speak better. And public speaking, to me, felt like something kids learn with physical stage exposure, not through a screen.

But something in me said, “Why not just try?” So, I signed up for a free demo class.

The Demo That Surprised Me

I still remember sitting next to her that day. She was fidgeting, nervous. I told myself not to expect much.

But the mentor surprised me. Instead of throwing her into something big, they started small — asking her about her favorite cartoon, her favorite food, her toys. They didn’t correct her when she stumbled. They didn’t rush her when she paused. They just listened.

And slowly, she started speaking. First in whispers. Then in sentences. Then with a smile. For the first time ever, I saw my daughter enjoy speaking in front of someone who wasn’t me.

That day, something shifted — not just in her, but in me too. I realized maybe confidence could be taught in ways I hadn’t imagined.

The First Few Weeks: Small Wins That Meant the World

I decided to enroll her. I wasn’t expecting a miracle, but what I saw in the first month blew me away. The sessions were designed in such a child-friendly and emotionally safe way.

They didn’t just teach her English. They made her fall in love with expressing herself.

Her mentor started with one-on-one interactions, letting her speak freely about the little things in her life — her teddy bear, her favorite park, her favorite teacher. Each time she spoke, they celebrated her effort. Not the grammar. Not the accent. Just the courage to speak.

And with every class, I noticed small changes. She began speaking louder. She stopped hiding behind me when a relative asked her a question. She even started narrating her school day to her grandparents in English — something she never did before.

Storytelling: The Real Confidence Booster

One of the most beautiful parts of the program was the storytelling sessions. Instead of making her memorize pre-written speeches, they encouraged her to create her own stories.

I still remember one particular session. She made up a story about “a little bird who wanted to fly to the moon.” She used hand gestures, changed her voice for different characters, and at the end of it, she got a virtual round of applause from other kids.

The way her face lit up in that moment is something I’ll never forget. She looked proud of herself. And that pride turned into motivation to speak more.

From Whispers to a Microphone

By the third month, she started participating in PlanetSpark’s open mic sessions. This was a big step for her — speaking in front of other children. At first, she spoke for just 20 seconds. The next time, it was a full minute.

And then came the big day. At her school’s annual function, when the teacher asked, “Who wants to volunteer to open the show?” my daughter’s hand went up before mine could even push it.

She walked to the stage, grabbed the microphone, and confidently introduced the event in front of hundreds of parents.

I didn’t cry in that moment. I waited until she came back to her seat. But when she did, I hugged her tightly — because I knew how far she had come.

Why PlanetSpark Worked When Other Things Didn’t

I’ve thought about this a lot. Why did this platform work when all my earlier efforts didn’t?

It wasn’t just the speaking practice. It was the environment. My daughter was never made to feel small for being quiet. She wasn’t compared to other kids. She wasn’t corrected harshly.

She was given a space to grow at her own pace.

She was guided by mentors who understood kids — who celebrated her little victories and gently pushed her out of her comfort zone. And most importantly, she was surrounded by children just like her, learning to speak up one step at a time.

More Than Just English

Something I didn’t expect to change was her personality outside the class. She became more outgoing at school. She started making new friends more easily. She even began helping her classmates during show-and-tell sessions.

It wasn’t just about learning to speak English. It was about learning to trust her own voice.

A Note to Parents Like Me

If you’re reading this and your child hides behind you during events the way mine once did, I want to tell you something — your child isn’t “shy” forever.

Shyness isn’t a fixed trait. It’s fear, and fear can be replaced with confidence when a child feels safe, supported, and celebrated for who they are.

I used to believe online classes couldn’t possibly help with something like stage fear. Now I know better. With the right approach, they absolutely can.

Today, She Grabs the Mic

These days, whenever there’s a performance or a competition, I no longer have to encourage her to go up. She’s already halfway there, hand raised, smile on her face, ready to speak.

And every time I see her on that stage, I think back to the little girl who used to hide behind me.

This transformation didn’t happen overnight. But it happened. And PlanetSpark played a huge role in it.

They didn’t just teach her English. They helped her find her voice. And once a child finds that, there’s no stopping them.