10 Ways to Help Your Kids Deal With Hurt

We’ve asked our Today’s Family Wellness Advisory Group about unkind words, hurt feelings and the like, and here are some tips they shared.
 
For unkind words, some remedies...
Ursula Robertson-Moore, Owner, Uppercases: “Practice open communication within the family and make efforts to instill empathy.”

Abigail Mueller, Adolescence Women’s Life Coach: “Positive Affirmations. Someone can attempt to hurt you, belittle you, and make you feel inferior, but they are only successful when...
...you give them permission. "When you know and believe the Miracle that you are, nothing seems impossible" Dr. Wayne Dyer”

Rhonda Breischaft, Mom: “Talk about why the person may have said unkind words. It’s always a good life lesson in how words can hurt and how we need to think twice about our choice of words.”
 
For hurt feelings, ways to cope...
Becky Carothers, MD, Pediatrician UofL Pediatrics Children & Youth Clinic: “Acknowledge that the unkind acts or words can make the person feel down and then focus on a positive attribute or trait.”

Abigail Mueller, Adolescence Women’s Life Coach: “Hurt feelings always have a purpose; all emotions do. Give them space and permission to be felt, and then make a decision on how you want to respond to them as opposed to react to them. We can often ask ourselves two questions to help the process begin, 1. What was our part in the hurt feelings, are we partially responsible? And, 2. Have I felt this before and how did I respond last time, did I like the outcome, or do I want to respond differently this time?”

Rhonda Breischaft, Mom: “Hugs! Sometimes just being held is more effective than words.”
 
For dealing with loss in a game...

Jeb Teichman, Pediatrician, Clark Memorial: “Keep it in perspective! It’s only a game not a life change.”

Ursula Robertson-Moore, Owner, Uppercases: “Accent the positive, learn from the experience and move on.”

Abigail Mueller, Adolescence Women’s Life Coach: “Congratulate the winner!”
Rhonda Breischaft, Mom: “My middle child is very competitive and can be a sore loser. We talk about how it feels when you don't win. We make sure to emphasize that "you can't win 'em all!"”
 

Compiled by Alissa Hicks, Intern, Today’s Family magazine.
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