Unfortunately, life is full of disappointments. We are all sinners, so we are all going to be let down or be the one letting someone down at some point. For our little ones who do not quite understand yet, disappointment can be hard on them. Although we mean well in trying to swoop in and save the day, that is not always the best option for them. PBS collaborated with a child psychotherapist and came up with an awesome blog about helping our children cope in these hard to understand times.
Here are some of the main points from the blog:
Although we always want to swoop in and save the day, our children need to learn to cope. When children learn that they have what it takes to work through the difficult feelings caused by disappointing situations, they build resilience and coping skills.
Disappointment, as it turns out, can be a valuable teaching tool when it comes to emotional development.
That’s not to say that teaching kids to handle disappointment is easy. Or that kids can simply work through disappointment on their own. With proper support and frequent discussions about coping with disappointment and overcoming obstacles, young children can learn how to handle life’s disappointments, big and small.
Some tips for helping our children grow and learn how to cope with disappointment:
Empathize first
Be a guide, not a fixer
Help your child manage expectations
Practice delayed gratification
Teach self-calming skills
To read more about these tips, you can see the full blog here