My sister posted something a few days ago and I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

I’ve been thinking about it, partly because I’ve been thinking a lot about how to raise emotionally strong children.

I’m not sure if you are aware but this is a growing problem in society now. Mental health issues are on the rise at all levels and all ages. I cannot be more concerned about this. Kids at a younger and younger age are contemplating things like suicide…that is simply not OK!

So as a mom, a teacher, a coach I am constantly searching for ways to help kids grow more mentally tough.

Here are a few suggestions:

These are so simple. And so true.

1. Always show gratitude. I’m a huge fan of this. People want to be seen and heard. Let them know they are! It’s easy, simple and costs you nothing…like a smile!
2. If you love someone, tell them. Yes! Always. I have a rule, never leave without saying “I love you.” I think it’s a good one.
3. If you are wrong, admit it. YES! This is harder to do than one might think…but it’s important. Admitting when you mess up creates character. We also can learn from our mistakes. We don’t allow our kids to make them because we live in a world where we solve our kids problems…we aren’t helping them (more on this later…
4. If you are confused, ask questions…I can’t express this enough. As a teacher, I love when kids ask questions and teachers go out of their way to make sure no one ever feels “stupid” for asking questions. So ask away!
5. If you learn…teach others. Teaching others is a great way to learn. The best way even. I hope that we encourage our kids to be leaders. A leader is comfortable teaching others what they know.
6. If you are stuck…ask for help. Somehow we have learned as a society that asking for help = weakness, there is nothing further from the truth. Confident leaders ask for help and are comfortable doing so!
7. If you make a mistake, apologize. Similar to #3 but apologizing is hard, but teaching our kids to do it is so important. I make the kids make eye contact when they do…I think that’s really important too.
8. If you trip, get back up. Life is full of hardships, if we don’t teach them to overcome them and get up when life pushes them down…when will they ever learn? It’s a must. We have to overcome. Get up. Get up. Get up. You got this.
9. If someone needs help, help them. I’m a big believer in service. Helping others heals the soul. It reminds you to be grateful and it makes you feel whole. It can be as simple as helping someone get up when they fall or inviting a classmate to play when they seem sad or alone. But, teaching our kids to be kind humans is NEVER a mistake.
10. If you see wrong, take a stance…teaching our kids to be an injustice fighter is a great thing. I love to fight injustice. Wrong is never right. Fighting against wrong is never wrong.

Just a few thoughts for this random Tuesday night.

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