Before the new year, I wrote a blog reminding parents that “collaborative resilience” is key during challenging times. In other words, it’s not only parents who help their kids be resilient. Kids can help parents be resilient too. It isn’t our kids job to make us feel better, but we should be open to the ways in which they do. We can create a family story that says, “We don’t have to do hard things alone. We can do them better together.”

In the spirit of learning from and alongside our kids, we asked you to engage your kids in a set of questions like:

• “What does my body feel like when I am sad/mad/angry/joyful/engaged?”
• “How do we help each other feel more brave?”
• “When do I need help and when can I be a helper?”
• “Who and what helps me feel better?”

We were thrilled to get lots of submissions to our questions for kids about their learning. We selected a few and compiled them into this resource that you can hang up on your fridge or use as a conversation starter at your table.

The actual tips are less important than the conversations we have with our children and teens. Our capacity to observe, listen, and learn from our kids helps us support their efforts and stay connected during challenging times. What else would your kids add to this list?