A few years ago I listened to a firefighter dad tell his young daughter Sydney to “toughen up cupcake” his daughter responded with a tilt to her head, and a straightening of her back – and a slight smile on her face.

The phrase stuck with me, and our teenage daughters. We would use the phrase if we found ourselves challenged, or if we were feeling sorry for ourselves – it became a mantra for us as we faced a challenge and needed a little courage to face what was ahead of us.