Dealing with adversity early in life

Psychiatrist Edward Hallowell, MD, EdD, shares advice for parent on the importance of teaching kids at an early age how to overcome adversity and the best ways for your teaching your child how to do so
Teaching Children How To Overcome Adversity Early In Life
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Dealing with adversity early in life

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It's important to learn to deal with adversity because life keeps coming at you. Adversity never ends. You know, life is really one problem to be solved after another with another disaster thrown in. So you need to learn to deal with it now. How do you learn to deal with it? The best way to learn to deal with adversity is to have a connected childhood, to be loved, to have supports, to know that no matter what happens there's someone there for you. And one of my first rules, it's fine to worry, just never worry alone. Teach your kids that. Say, "When you've got a problem, talk to me about it, or talk to someone about it. We'll figure out how to solve it." It is through connection that you deal with adversity, and if you offer your child and create for your child a connected childhood, they will naturally become second nature how to deal with adversity. The studies are very clear. Kids who have spunk and grit and bounce back are kids who feel connected, who have that sense of no matter what happens, I'm never alone. I never have to worry alone. So, it all comes back to this force of connection. If you give that to your child, your child will naturally be resilient, will naturally be able to deal with the many curveballs that life will inevitably throw at him or her.

Psychiatrist Edward Hallowell, MD, EdD, shares advice for parent on the importance of teaching kids at an early age how to overcome adversity and the best ways for your teaching your child how to do so

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Edward Hallowell, MD, EdD

Psychiatrist, ADHD Specialist, & Author

Edward (Ned) Hallowell, MD, EdD is a Harvard-trained Child and Adult Psychiatrist in practice in Sudbury, MA (outside Boston) and New York City. The author of 18 books, Dr. Hallowell specializes in learning differences such as ADHD and dyslexia, both of which he has himself.  He has also written extensively on general issues of parenting and living in our modern age. He lives in the Boston area with his wife of 23 years, Sue, and their three children, Lucy, Jack, and Tucker.

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