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What are some of the values you’d like to instill in your children as they grow up? When I was a parent educator this was a question I’d use to start some important discussion, and now that I’m a mom it’s a question I ask myself a lot to make sure my actions align with my goals. Some of the key values and traits my husband and I want our children to have are kindness, compassion, integrity, assertiveness, dependability, confidence, patience, courage, and conscientiousness. And one that is hugely important especially as our kids grow up and out of 2020 and its chaotic circumstances is RESILIENCE.

What is resilience and why is it important?

Resilience is defined as “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties” and it is important because life is fraught with challenges.

If our children feel capable of overcoming obstacles, then when they encounter them — and they will, time and time again — they will approach them with confidence. They will look at the situation head on and know that, even though it might be hard, they will get through it. They can survive and even thrive when they tackle tough situations.

Believing that you are resilient is linked with having a growth mindset, knowing that your abilities are contingent on your effort, not only on innate talent.

If homework is hard, if friendships have low moments, if a global pandemic hits, your child knows that they can work to learn what they need to do, and that they can grow into the space they need to fill. 

Can you imagine how powerful it is to have that sort of confidence in yourself?

So how do we teach that to our children? Well a great first step is to watch this video!

You’ve GOT to watch this!

The video above gives me all the feels.

I love it for children, and heck, I love it for myself.

I’ve even sent it to adult friends who I thought could use a pick-me-up! Isn’t it just so good!?

It was created by the team behind the Big Life Journal and stars children who use it! When they sent me a copy of the journal to review, I fell even more in love with this children’s resiliency and growth-mindset journal!

The Big Life Journal

big life journal to teach resilience

I literally cannot wait until my children are old enough to use their Big Life Journal. 

The Big Life Journal has prompts that encourage self-confidence, appreciating your uniqueness, fostering a growth-mindset, valuing failure as a step in learning, utilizing coping skills, expressing gratitude, and developing resilience. It has it ALL!

Here is a little sneak peak inside the Big Life Journal Daily Edition For Kids (ages 6-11)!

"Things I can't do yet and want to learn" to teach resilience
Example of daily resilience journal text
example of daily resilience journal text

I just know you will love the Big Life Journal as much as I do. Comment below what you think about it when you get yours!

And when you check out the journal itself, remember to look at all of their resources for children and families too!


I care so much about my children and yours growing in their social-emotional development. As such, I love to review books that can be helpful to us parents!

Here are some other books I’ve reviewed that I know you’ll love!

“Thank you Body, Thank you Heart” by Jennifer Cohen Harper

“Princess Pirates” by D.K. Ackerman

Christina Furnival

Christina is a mom to three wild and wonderful kiddos, a licensed psychotherapist (LPCC), and a children's book author of the award-winning social/emotional wellbeing series, Capable Kiddos! She and her Scottish husband are raising their family in San Diego, where they love to hike, play soccer, cook, walk around the lake, and go to the beach.

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