Raising a resilient child

With distance learning methods and expectations varying from school district to school district – and, in many cases, from household to household – it’s easy for everyone in the family to feel like they’re failing right now. But Jessica Lahey sees our strange new reality as an opportunity to build resilience. A teacher for more than 20 years and mother of two, Jessica is the author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go so Their Children Can Succeed, and co-host of the #AmWriting podcast. She joins us to explain how to teach your kids (and yourself) how to push through failure and frustration as they learn, live, and play in the age of coronavirus and beyond. From measuring ingredients, to helping in the garden, to taking forest walks as a family, Jessica says this moment will resonate with children for a lifetime, giving them a chance to learn from experiences that are relevant and important to family life. Listen to this episode to learn: -Why all kids can benefit from being given more autonomy, and creative ways to foster it -The drawbacks of “directive parenting,” and how to encourage kids to persevere through frustrating moments of failure -Tips for how to stop projecting our own fears, anxieties, and stress about the COVID-19 pandemic onto our children (turn off the news!) -How to lean on teachers for help with homework and homeschooling -Pros and cons of “distance learning” -How to expand your child’s definition of “learning” and apply it to practical and fun tasks in and around the home For more information, visit http://www.jessicalahey.com/.