Teaching Children to Overcome their Fears

I’ve been coaching a youth triathlon team this summer and today was their first triathlon. It was a great experience to work with a group of parents who are totally devoted to their children’s development. I saw looks of apprehension on the faces of young athletes just before they went into the water, looks of determination as they ran to get on their bikes, and smiles of pride and jubilation as they passed the finish line.

There are so many benefits to trying a new sport or physical activity but one of the most compelling is teaching children to face their fears and to try something challenging and new. These events are well organized to make every child feel like a winner but it is the parents that do the best job of building up their children and making them see themselves as capable of achieving great things.

It is possible to build this into your child’s daily routine as well as to do it at a big event. it takes some forethought, focused attention, and a commitment to consistently invest in your children this way. It occurs in routines like dinner time conversation, bedtime stories or conversations, and exercise activities that are done together. A simple daily walk can be a venue for great conversations as well as physical fitness.

Get in the habit of expressing your enthusiasm and pride in your child on a daily basis and not just when they cross a finish line. When you do this, you enhance their chances of achieving in every aspect of life. One little boy about four years old was running full speed at the finish line until he saw his dad standing to the side of the finish line. He immediately detoured off the path and into his father’s arms. His father steered him back toward the finish line which his son crossed with a big smile.

Children who want to run to us for our love and encouragement can be guided across many of life’s various finish lines. In that moment, that dad had one of life’s best feelings of being loved and needed. Invest your life in those you love and serve today and you will be rewarded by the bonds you create; bonds that will last a lifetime and give you a sense of fulfillment and achievement of your own.