Why You Should Push Your Child Past Their Comfort Zone (& How To Do It With Love)

You can’t bubble wrap your child forever.

That might sound harsh …

But sometimes, tough love is what we need.

I speak with so many parents who are trying to shield their kid from the outside world.

They’re doing absolutely everything to protect them from harm.

And they’re so afraid to let them do anything that might be a little bit dangerous, or risky, or cause them any kind of distress.

I get it.

I really do.

Because our #1 job, as parents, is to protect our kids.

It’s a natural instinct.

But at the same time, what if this level of protection was actually harming your child?

Here’s what I mean -

Let’s say you’re going to the gym to get stronger.

How do you get stronger muscles?

Well, you have to break them down first, right?

This involves a certain degree of effort, discomfort and stress.

Okay, you’re not going to rip them apart to the point it takes a month to recover.

But when you lift weights, you create ‘micro tears’ in the muscle, and the body has to work hard to rebuild the damage.

By doing that, over time, you get stronger.

If you just went to the gym and stayed in your comfort zone, well, you might get a bit fitter …

But your strength would stay exactly where it was.

Same goes for your child.

If you always keep them in their comfort zone …

And if you never let them take risks, or enter any situation when they’re under pressure …

They’re not going to get stronger.

Now, I’m not saying you abandon all your protection.

Not at all.

Doing that could also be catastrophic.

But what I want you to ask yourself is -

“How can I encourage my child to take healthy risks?”

Can you encourage them to try new things, like different activities, or different foods?

Can you stay out at a party just a little bit longer than you normally would?

Maybe empower them to talk to other kids they wouldn’t typically hang around with?

The key is to do these things in a safe environment, and do them with love.

If they can’t manage something?

No worries.

Just like if you tried to lift a weight at the gym but couldn’t, you’d go a little bit lighter for now, and then maybe try that heavier weight again next time.

You need to balance the encouragement and gentle ‘pushing,’ while ensuring their safety and wellbeing.

And above all - support their efforts.

Tell them you’re proud of them, whether they succeed or not.

They need to know “failure” is okay.

And that what REALLY matters is giving things a go.

Do that, and you’ll build a strong, confident, resilient kid.

The kind of kid who becomes a lot less reliant on you …

… and is well-equipped to tackle the world on their own.

But how do you guarantee you get the balance right?

That’s where we step in.

We work with parents to ensure they’re doing just enough pushing to drive their child forward, get out of their comfort zone and achieve great things …

Without going too hard, upsetting them, or taking a step back.

Gentle encouragement and risk-taking are ESSENTIAL if you want to raise a kid who:

• Never struggles with daily meltdowns.
• Trusts you implicitly.
• Is able to self-manage their emotions. 

But you have to be prepared to help them out of their comfort zone.

And you have to take that first step by speaking with us.

Book some time, and we’ll talk with you real soon.

Megghan