Is Your Child Brave?

Being brave can mean many things to many people because being brave it is an action that makes something happen..makes anything happen.  Being brave is about overcoming your fears to accomplish your goals. As an adult this means so many things (because our lives are complex) but for children, this is simple because their lives are simple (at least they should be) so overcoming their fears to accomplish their goals might mean something simple like eating their vegetables, conquering the fear of the dark, approaching a bully, or trying out for a sport that they have never done before.  Maybe even saying no to peer pressure.  Being brave is an essential tool for your child's success in everyday life.  Here are a few ways that you can help to foster courage in your child's life..

• Remind your children about times that they overcame their fears (ie. sleeping alone or trying a new food) to encourage them to find the strength and courage to do other things that they might be scared about in the future. Also, ask them how they felt when they accomplished the task.
• Give opportunities for them to talk about issues they're worried about and how they can overcome their fears.  Try to encourage and not judge.  Then ask them how they felt after they accomplished their goal and of course how proud you are.
• Tell stories about things that you were scared about and overcame in your life and how it made you feel or made your life better.
• Remind your child that if they try and fail- it's ok.  Many of the most successful people failed the most but they didn't give up trying.