1. Teach children to be curious, rather than pass judgement. Rather than shun people for looking or behaving a certain way, teach your children to ask questions to understand others. We may discover after asking questions a new ingenious way of coping with a challenge or a new creative way to think.
2. Teach honesty and responsibility. It takes courage to do the right thing, but it always feels good to the soul. Even when no one is around to watch and celebrate you for telling the truth or doing the right thing, it fosters a strong character.
3. Sooth the amygdala. One of life’s most important skills is to manage fear, anger and other primitive feelings. Feelings of fear, loss, and abandonment are all examples of a death threat to the amygdala, which pushes our fight-or-flight buttons. Learning how to generate love, compassion, courage and strength when the amygdala is set off means a life of strong coping skills.
4. We all have limits. Do what you love, but make darn sure you have the ability to do it. We may not all have the ability to be rocket scientists, but we all have strengths that we can make work for us and find how to love what we do with our strengths.
5. Don’t believe everything you feel. Just because hormones may make you feel like you hate yourself or life doesn’t mean you do. Question negativity and identify when it becomes destructive.
6. Life is full of ups and downs. Teach children to accept and appreciate the role hardship plays in our lives. Children grow intellectually and emotionally when they overcome obstacles, learn from mistakes, and experience the down as well as the ups in life.