24 | Let Them Fall: Teaching Kids Hard Things | Are You Pushing Them—or Yourself?

In Episode 24, we dive into one of the hardest parts of parenting: teaching our kids to do difficult things. Using the challenge of teaching a child to ride a bike as a starting point, we discuss the balance between encouraging growth and managing our own frustrations when progress comes slower than we'd like.

We explore how every child learns differently and why the same approach won't work for every kid. Sometimes a child needs more encouragement, sometimes they need more independence, and sometimes they're simply not ready yet—and that's okay.

We also tackle an uncomfortable but important question: when we're pushing our children to try something new, are we doing it because it's best for them, or because it satisfies something in us? As parents, examining our own motivations can help us better support our kids instead of unintentionally adding pressure.

The conversation also covers the importance of letting children experience appropriate risk. Confidence isn't built by keeping kids safe from every challenge—it's built by allowing them to struggle, fail, adapt, and eventually succeed. We discuss why kids should be allowed to do dangerous things carefully, and how that balance of freedom and guidance helps create capable, resilient adults.

Finally, we talk about commitment. While it's important not to force children into activities they're not ready for, once they've made a commitment, there is tremendous value in teaching them to follow through, persevere through discomfort, and finish what they started.

This episode is about raising kids who are brave enough to try, resilient enough to fail, and confident enough to keep going.