Life is fluid. We think we are going one way but then there is a situation, a hiccup or an event that means life has to change. We have to go with life changes and be receptive to it/adjust to it.
The change may be something distressing or stressful and we may not have a choice. Or it could be something wonderful and exciting! For example, it could be someone who is in hospital and we need to spend more time being there for them or it may be a school change. Either way, we have to deal with the changes to our life in the best way possible because we just can’t avoid them.
Dealing with Life Changes
Change is not always planned. It can often be totally unexpected so we need to make sure our children are receptive to it. The impact of change for parents will sometimes have a knock on effect to their children so they will need to learn how to adjust. Talk to your children about being adaptive and dealing with situations outside of their control.
Older children may have to learn to be more independent and take care of themselves when change is needed or they may already have the resources to do this. Younger children will have to accept that they aren’t the only ones that need their parents – sometimes other family members need help and attention too. This is a really useful life lesson for young children.
We also need to be aware of when affected by life changes adults and children may be different following them. Hopefully, it will bring out survival instincts and make children more resilient, bringing out their empathy and coping strategies. Change can make them stronger if they know how to cope with it and there will certainly be a period of adjusting to the new way of life.
This life skill of dealing with change is essential for all children as change is inevitable. For some coaching on coping with and managing change please get in touch with me for an informal chat.
