Successful Kids All Share This One Trait

successful

Do your kids have what they need to be successful?

Like most parents, you want to see your kids get the grade, win the game, learn the skill, and feel proud of themselves. You often willingly make a lot of sacrifices: sleep, time with friends, and time away from work so your kids have the opportunities to reach and maintain success in a lot of areas. You support them as they navigate school, extra-circulars, and friendships. You guide them through making tough choices and cheer them on as they make strides on their own.

Regardless of how much support you give your kids, there will still be times when they face disappointments and hardships.

But is there a way to help your kids navigate challenges and disappointments and have more opportunities to feel successful?

Yes, by teaching them to be resilient. Resiliency can be a game-changer for kids and can change the way they see disappointments and challenges completely. Resiliency is often an overlooked trait but when kids are resilient they can better cope and even thrive when life gets hard. Kids who are resilient can easily develop strengths, hone in on new skills, and successfully handle the challenges of life.

Here are some ways to help teach your kids resiliency:

  • Building a sense of character is a great place to start with your kids. Kids need to learn a fundament sense of right and wrong to set them up to make wise choices in the future. Resilient kids who have a strong sense of their own values are better able to stick to them when times get tough or when others question them. Think about what values you hold as true and universal. Model them for your children and find ways to speak about them in regular conversations.
  • Help your kids build competence and confidence. Competence is the ability to know how to handle situations effectively and trust your judgment. Build your kids confidence by allowing them to try new skills at home in a loving and warm way. Talk with them how to problem solve issues with friends or siblings instead of giving advice right away. Allow them to try new activities or household choirs. Help them learn from mistakes and explore how they could handle things in the future. Competence is a skill that over time builds confidence that they can handle difficulties in the future.

Kids will face stressful times and make mistakes. It’s just human nature!

Your kids can learn how to move on from mistakes and stress by helping them be successful in learning a variety of healthy stress reduction skills.

A wide repertoire of healthy, adaptive coping strategies helps kids overcome challenges. Make time for play and unstructured fun! Talk to your kids about what makes them feel relaxed. Then help them find more ways for stress relief to be included as part of the regular routine.

Written By: Laura Lebovitz, LMFT

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *