While my wife and I would joke about keeping our kids in a large bubble, the reality is that we need to teach them resiliency to not be greatly effected by life's ups and downs. From bullying to stress, building resiliency can help kids navigate through life just a little easier. Facing tough situations. Tragedy, trauma, or adversity. It doesn't mean always leaving them alone to fend for themselves. Loving relationships and support are important in children building resiliency. But there are definitely things we can do as parents to help them build that resiliency muscle. Schools are starting to teach these skills as well. Helping kids understand how to manage stress and providing life skills that will help them. Here are some ways to build resiliency Let them make mistakes - Natural consequences. This can be not finishing homework to missing basketball practice. Let them problem solve - Ask questions instead of providing answers Don't always accommodate - Our intention is good but the end result is a child that can't sleep on their own, looks down when they talk to you, or fearful of situations. Allow risk - Eliminating all risk keeps them from developing resiliency Teach them emotional intelligence - being aware and understand emotions helps with coping mechanisms Practice Mindfulnness - Meditation is a great ways to strengthen the mind. It can teach calming mechanisms and reduce stress. Exercise - Physically resiliency. Making you strong and powerful. Watching a group of young kids playing a sports, you can easily see who is more resilient than the others. Introduce them to new experiences - get them outside their comfort zone. Be sure they have responsibilities at home - cleaning, washing, food, etc. Connect with Characters - From books to movies, there are examples of people who faced with adversity and shows how they handle it. We cannot control others but we can control ourselves. for example, a bully. While you can't control what someone else says or does, you can control your response to it. It is ultimately a choice on how we let things effect us. Resiliency gives us more options.