Teaching children to cope with disappointment Failing a test. Being cut from the basketball team. Being rejected by a new love interest. Not making the cheerleading squad.
All children face disappointment and setbacks.
But raising resilient children who can successfully flourish and bounce back from these setbacks is key to helping them cope. As a parent, your first instinct when a problem arises may be to shelter your child from disappointment or save him from catastrophe. But the best thing you can do is listen to your child and acknowledge his loss or calamity. It doesn't help to patronize children or belittle their disappointment in the hopes of cheering them up. No matter how big or small the issue seems to you, the blow is initially a big deal to your child.