Picture yourself trying a new activity. Maybe it is something that you immediately find yourself very capable of doing. That’s pretty awesome! More often than not, however, there is a period of struggle as you learn something new. You stick with it. You learn more. You practice. You come up with ways to overcome the struggle that might be different than how others overcame theirs; ways that work for you. In short, you use your struggle as an opportunity for growth.
You keep at it and get better at your new activity. You start to feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. Where does that sense of pride come from? For me, my pride in learning something new comes from celebrating the journey rather than the outcome. I reflect on my own hard work that got me to my goal. I remember all of the difficulties that I had along the way that became areas of strength as I practiced and learned. I recognize that my work turned my struggle into a productive struggle. It’s a great feeling.
As parents, watching our children struggle with something can be, well, a struggle! It’s common to want to make things easier for our children so that they don’t need to experience these challenges and the feelings that can accompany them. It can be difficult to recognize the opportunity that struggle opens up for our children. It can be even harder to embrace these opportunities for our kids to overcome their struggles with our love and support. Remembering this gives our children chances to grow and learn more about themselves.
The temptation to clear struggles from our children’s paths is a powerful one! I try to remind myself that my child will face challenges throughout their life. Building resilience and grit in a safe environment with love and support will only help when faced with these future challenges. Overcoming struggle is an excellent path to being more prepared and confident the next time things get hard.
If you are interested in exploring this topic further, I recommend the following article as a great place to begin.
7 Reasons Why It's Important To Let Your Kids Struggle
Here’s a great children’s book about Struggle!
The Most Magnificent Thing
