Have you ever poured a carbonated drink over ice and watched the path of the individual bubbles?  (Okay, I know that is a strange question.  Work with me.)

Some of the bubbles in the carbonated drink go straight to the top, but most of them hit an obstacle (or two or ten) of ice cubes on the way up, and pretty much all of them follow a path that isn’t always the shortest path or the predictable path.  They go in all sorts of directions at various speeds, jostling side-to-side to get the right upward momentum.  A lot of the bubbles stuck on ice cubes do get there eventually, and then they all group together to make the “fizz” part of the drink.  It’s the part the advertisers show because it just looks good!

It’s a great example of how life can go for our children and teens.  One of our roles as a parent is to teach our children how to get past the obstacles of ice to rise to the top of the glass.  Yes, it might take a path that is not the one we expect, but it is a path and a journey nonetheless.

So how do we teach our kids to get past obstacles?  Here are some critical elements to consider:

Teach your child or teen that there will always be ice in the glass.  That means there will always be obstacles to overcome.  We all have them to various degrees, and to be honest, life would be boring without them.  There is no value in spending energy expecting life to fly by without challenges along the way.  There’s ice in the glass… that’s the way it is.

Don’t help the bubbles get past the ice cubes by taking out the ice cubes.  Seriously, if you put your fingers in the drink to take out the ice and let bubbles rise to the top, the bubbles only pop and you just spoil the drink.  Let the obstacles happen for your child and whenever possible, let the consequences happen, as well.  If you’re a parent who has ever rushed to the school in sweats and a ponytail after you received a call from your child needing you to bring their homework to them because they left it at home… I’m talkin‘ to you.  There is great value in learning how to sail murky waters, especially when you created them yourself.  Let your kids learn that now.  It’s easier to learn now then it will be as an adult.

Stay tuned for more tips on helping your child or teen face their obstacles and RISE to the TOP in Part II and III of this post, coming soon!