Raising Kids Who Bounce Back
Have you ever watched your child fall apart after a small setback, like a bad grade, a missed invitation, or a tough conversation, and wished you knew how to help them handle it better?
Resilience is the ability to recover from challenges and disappointment. And it’s closely related to the Executive Function (EF) skill of cognitive flexibility. While some kids seem to be born with a little more bounce, the truth is that resilience is a learnable skill. As parents, we have natural opportunities every day to help our children build this essential life muscle, and it doesn’t have to be complicated.
Here are 4 simple strategies to incorporate into our natural rhythms to help build more bounce over time:
Offer support, but don’t rush to rescue. Instead of immediately fixing the problem, sit with them through the discomfort. Let them try, struggle, and come back again, even if it takes a few tries. This builds emotional strength and self-trust.
Talk about lessons learned. After a tough situation, reflect together. What felt hard? What helped? What might they do differently next time? These conversations build self-awareness and emotional insight.
Instill the belief that things can improve. Resilient kids learn that effort over time makes a difference. Reinforce the idea that setbacks are temporary, and with support and persistence, they can move forward.
Model self-care and emotional regulation. Our children are watching how we handle stress. When we prioritize rest, movement, connection, and asking for help, we’re showing them what healthy coping looks like.
The good news is that these shifts don’t require extra hours in our day; they just take intentionality and small adjustments within daily interactions.
Here’s to raising resilient kids.