How do we grow? We grow through change. Fearlessness. And the occasional failure, too. These are potent catalysts for personal and spiritual growth. That's why I live by them daily and am a die-hard self-proclaimed "change junkie"!
At the same time, we parents can't help but feel responsible for protecting (and sometimes overprotecting) our kids. Protecting our children is in our DNA… literally. When they're toddlers, we tell them not to touch the fire. (Eventually, they'll do it anyway and figure out firsthand why we warned them!) When they come home crying after being bullied, we want to march straight out and give that bully–and his or her parents–a piece of our minds. And let's be honest: the world, according to NewsLand, can seem beyond scary. Our kids aren't blind to any of it. In fact, recent statistics show that nearly 10% of children aged 3-17 have diagnosable anxiety, and almost half of all adolescents have experienced a mental health issue during their lives. The question is, what's at the root of this alarming trend?