Help your child build resilience by teaching them ABC Planning, a simple tool that is good for almost any age. When your child is planning for an important event, help them think through not only their Plan A, but also a Plan B and even a Plan C. Allow them to think through their own plan first before offering your input. Compliment their planning skills! The message you send your child is that “failure” is a normal part of life and that they can be empowered to face challenges. This builds hope and resilience, rather than despair when life gets hard. Don’t forget to follow-up and even create a plan D, E, or F if needed!
This can also be used if your child has already experienced a setback. Use the opportunity to re-frame what your child may view as a failure as simply the need to figure out their Plan B. Remind them that it’s not what happened so much as how we respond and move forward.
