We all want resilient children. We want them to be able to overcome worry, anxiety, stress, fear, and all those other emotions that we TOTALLY understand.
But how do we do that? How do we incorporate that kind of training into our day-to-day lives as deliberate mothers?
Today I’m joined by Sarah Boyd, a mother of two, a cancer survivor, an author, and an expert in the fields of psychology and neuroscience. She’s sharing three ways we can help our children to have more courage–which you’ll love.
Plus, Sarah has created a list of her favorite children’s books that teach principles of resilience, courage, and kindness. Visit https://powerofmoms.com/
Sarah’s NEW Book Waitlist – The Boy Who Stood Up Tall
The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact
1:27 – Sarah shares her story. She trains entrepreneurs in positive psychology. Seven years ago she was diagnosed with cancer and it was a game changer for her. She had to learn to navigate a really difficult life situation.
2:33 – Sarah become a mother. Her son has a high sensitivity and feels emotions more deeply. She recognized the privilege and responsibility she had to steward him and help him.
3:20 – The combination of experiences motivated her to start a new company called resilientlittlehearts.com. She is helping parents and children be equipped for this new, complex world.
4:42 – Sarah realized she had a lot of time to think when she was healing, and it gave her the opportunity to think of ideas. For almost six years she was in and out of bed recovering. Nothing she is doing now would have happened without that experience. She says that whatever you go through it always serves a purpose. Inspiration hits and it can propel you forward into your next season.
7:44 – Many mothers have had an experience where their child has felt scared or they will at some point.
8:04 – 3 things you can do to help your child overcome anxiety and fear:
- Try to respond with empathy. (Even if you’ve never been scared by that specific issue.) You are “safe” for them. You can say things like, “When I was your age, I used to feel…” or “I understand.” You are validating their concern.
- Don’t push them in the moment of fear. They are in a state of fight or flight. If they are at the point of overwhelm, it’s okay to not push the in the moment because they can’t be reasoned with right then.
- Reward brave behavior. Identify a behavior that you genuinely know they are afraid of and reward it. You might say, “I could see you were scared, but you did it anyway.” Brave isn’t not feeling scared, it’s feeling scared and doing it anyway. One of the best rewards is simply praise.
16:25 – Sarah talks about her new book, The Boy Who Stood Up Tall. This book shows highly sensitive children that they already have strength and courage within; and teaches them practical psychological tools to overcome their fears.
17:42 – Sarah is sharing her free book list with the Power of Moms community. Find it here: https://powerofmoms.com/littlehearts
Music from Creations by Michael R. Hicks
Audio editing by Christy Elder