As a parent of young children, you may have wondered about the balance between protecting your children and allowing them to face life's challenges. We want to ensure our children's emotional well-being, but we also want them to develop resilience. In today's unpredictable world, raising resilient kids is more important than ever.

For example, if your child encounters a difficult situation at school, like being excluded from a group activity, your instinct might be to intervene and shield them from negative emotions. While this comes from a place of love, it may hinder your child's ability to navigate real-life experiences and develop resilience. Finding a balance between nurturing and allowing your children to learn from challenges is important.

One way to foster resilience in children is by empowering them with problem-solving skills. Instead of jumping in to fix everything for our children, we can guide them toward finding solutions independently. This teaches them how to handle difficult situations, think critically, and build confidence in their abilities. By giving our children the tools to navigate challenges, we are helping them become more resilient individuals better equipped to handle whatever life throws their way.

Psychologist Jonathan Haidt's work illuminates the importance of exposing children to manageable........

© Psychology Today