One quick reminder: My Etsy shop is now open, offering printable resources for families. Right now, there are only 2 products listed, but I have many more in the works. Stay tuned. Share with other families you know.
The two products listed are:
Social Emotional Toolkit (aka Emotion Camp for Kids)
Preschool Guide and Checklist for Parents
Even bigger news! I’m adding these two resources to the paid subscriber page. If you upgrade to a paid subscription, you get access to these two products included in your subscription, along with the full library of resources.
Paid subscribers can find it at the top of the main page, with the header labeled Printables Library.
I came across an idea recently that resonated, and I think has real implications for parenting. The idea was from an article about healthy aging (hang with me, it’s related). The concept that was mentioned was “hormesis.” It’s described as a small stressor to your body that makes your body more resilient and robust over time. They gave the example of fasting or calorie restriction. It’s a small stressor, but over time, it makes your body more resilient to some of the changes of aging.
What does this have to do with parenting?
This biological concept, it turns out, seems to apply to psychology as well. The idea that small stressors can actually make us (and our children) more psychologically resilient and robust is supported in research.
This point was reiterated by Dr. Becky as she commented on the panelists’ discussions at Davos.
“We have to figure out a way to preserve some of the friction in children’s lives, not erase it; to make space for waiting, boredom, effort, disappointment, repair, and real human feedback, rather than assuming increased ease and productivity is a predictor of healthy human development.”
One common theme that emerged was the need to allow more struggle and a little less comfort in children’s environment as they develop. This is not about abuse or neglect, of course. This is about tolerable stress—the hormesis of everyday life. This is what builds resilience and coping skills. These real-life experiences that don’t go perfectly, that involve failure or disappointment.
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