This month we've been looking at teaching life skills. Perhaps the hardest life skill for me to teach my guys has been the skills of coping. On one hand, coping skills are only necessary when your life doesn't go well and their life has gone fairly well. On the other hand, they don't know that and still have rough days. Learning to cope with not getting your favorite toy for your birthday seems ridiculous in comparison to coping with not getting enough food. However the skills necessary for both are the same.
The fact is that we are fickle people. Reading the bible shows us that we continually don't keep our promises, prefer comfort over work, and love ourselves. How do we teach our children to cope with the reality of a fallen world while still pursuing the higher otherworldly calling? I don't know.
My default tends to be pushing through the difficulty to get to the other side. I work my way out of tough situations. While this approach helps me to overcome small struggles, I wonder what the healthier approach would be and how to teach it to my children.
How do you teach your children to be healthy followers of Christ amidst trials?