As parents we want to clear the path for our kids. We want to remove any obstacle to help our kids navigate life easily. Unfortunately, life gets bumpy and we can’t always be there to pave the way. We have to raise our kids to be resilient so they can overcome obstacles and thrive in their world.
Stress and adversity are guaranteed in life. If we raise kids to be resilient, they have the ability to recover from stressful situations. Stress becomes problematic when an individual does not have the right tools to handle the situation.
While we can’t fix all of our children’s problems for them, we can help raise them to be resilient with coping, support, and problem solving strategies.
Don’t Act on Emotion
The first step in learning to bounce back from an obstacle is to not act on emotion. It’s important to calm ourselves when we are faced with adversity.
Teaching breathing techniques to kids is a great way to teach stress relief.
Walking away from a situation and planning to revisit later also helps.
Shift Our Thought Process
Our negative thoughts impact our problem solving abilities. If we teach our children to shift their thought process from “This isn’t fair” to “What can I learn from this?”, they will have a much better handle on injustices, whether real or perceived.
What Can We Control?
We can’t control every aspect in a situation. As such, it’s important for kids to learn boundaries, and know what they can and cannot control.
We can’t control another’s thoughts or actions. However, we have control over our emotions, our reactions, our thoughts, feelings and actions.
If we teach our kids to focus on what’s in their control, they will learn to manage situations and feel more grounded.
Let’s Raise Resilient Kids
It’s never too late to start teaching kids these strategies to help them cope with barriers in their lives. Resilient kids will see life’s problems as opportunities to learn and grow.
Therapy for Kids in Canonsburg, PA
If you are have concerns about your child or teen, or if you would like to get to know us a little better, please call us at (724) 503-6670 or email us at admin@inthenowcounseling.org for help.
