None of us can avoid the trials and struggles life sometimes throws at us. The only thing we can do is learn how to navigate life’s curveballs and use these challenges to better ourselves. No one grapples with this more than the youth.
You see, by the time most of us attain adulthood, we have become quite adept at identifying problems and finding solutions to them, admittedly with varying rates of success. However, teens are still maturing and finding their footing in the world, so they tend to have a harder time managing adversity.
Adolescents who become overwhelmed by the problems they face sometimes end up engaging in delinquent and self-destructive behaviors. While therapeutic boarding schools and residential treatment centers are available to help troubled teens ditch their harmful habits, prevention is always better than cure. Which is why it’s crucial to teach our children to see life’s hurdles as opportunities to come up with creative solutions instead of running away from problems.
Overcoming Challenges By Encouraging Creativity
As a parent, you no doubt want your kids to grow up to be successful adults who can make sound decisions for themselves. One thing to remember though is that kids learn best through experience.
While it isn’t easy to watch them struggle or fail over and over, continuously shielding your kids from harsh realities might stunt their maturity and eventually do them more harm than good.
A better approach would be to encourage them to seek creative and innovative solutions to their problems. So the next time your child comes to you with a problem, step back and adopt the role of a guardian and let them work their way through it.
Instead of telling them what to do, urge them to look at the issue from a different angle, to challenge their limits and to question their assumptions. This way, they’ll strengthen their minds and learn how to develop vital problem-solving skills that are sure to come in handy in their lives.
Another way to teach your kids to creatively generate unique solutions to problems is to encourage them to take up extracurricular activities. Your kids will inevitably encounter new challenges while participating in sports and other hobbies. To tackle them, they’ll have to harness their innate talents while learning how to work as part of a team. Also, don’t forget that exercise is an excellent way to get the creative juices flowing and let off steam after a stressful day.
When More Help Is Needed
While adversity is part of life, some teens do require more help to get by than others. If you notice that your teen is struggling with emotional, mental or behavioral issues, contact Liahona Academy and our skilled team of professionals will do all they can to help them get their lives back on the right path.
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