Flexibility

Last Tuesday, our usual after-school routine had to change because of a dentist appointment. My 8-year-old was visibly upset. “But we always go to the park on Tuesdays!” Instead of immediately reassuring her and fixing the schedule, I remembered our family’s commitment to the Life-Ready approach. I said, “I know this feels frustrating. Sometimes routines have to change. How can we handle this?” The look of frustration mixed with growing acceptance on her face told me we had a perfect opportunity to practice handling routine changes in a low-stakes environment. ...

Last Saturday morning, my 8-year-old woke up excited for our planned trip to the zoo. She had been looking forward to it for weeks, had packed her backpack, and was dressed and ready to go. As we loaded into the car, I received a call that the zoo was unexpectedly closed due to a power outage. My daughter’s face fell as I explained that our plans had changed. Instead of immediately suggesting an alternative activity, I said, “I see you’re really disappointed. Let’s sit with that feeling for a moment and then figure out what to do.” The look of surprise and slight panic on her face told me we had a perfect opportunity to practice sitting with disappointment in a low-stakes environment. ...