As parents, we want to raise strong, resilient kids. But what does “strength” really mean? For years, I believed being strong meant hiding my own feelings—pushing sadness, anger, or fear deep inside. I thought they’d just disappear. Instead, the opposite happened: the more I ignored my emotions, the more they controlled me.

When we’re afraid of feelings, we do everything we can to avoid them. We steer clear of conversations or experiences that might stir up sadness, fear, or frustration. But avoiding doesn’t erase feelings—it just makes them come back stronger, like a beach ball we keep trying to push under water.

And here’s the key: our kids watch and learn from how we deal with our emotions.

Think about how........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)