Parenting In 2026: Expert Shares Three Ways Parents Can Help Children Build Emotional Resilience

DALLAS, Texas (TXAN 24) — Parenting in an increasingly digital world presents new challenges for families, from helping children manage their emotions to preparing them to navigate adversity independently.

In an interview with TXAN 24 News, Donovan Bridgeforth spoke with Deana Thayer, a parenting specialist at Focus on the Family, about practical strategies parents can use to raise emotionally resilient children.

Thayer began her career as a birth doula and childbirth educator before transitioning into parent coaching after approximately 20 years. She also works in public relations, serves as a spokesperson on marriage and parenting topics, specializes in blended families and holds a doctorate in educational leadership.

Thayer outlined three foundational steps for helping children regulate their emotions: identifying feelings, validating those feelings and providing appropriate ways to process them.

Parents can help younger children develop emotional vocabulary by naming what they observe, such as frustration or sadness. Validating those feelings helps children understand that emotions are normal, while teaching appropriate responses establishes boundaries for their behavior.

“Parents have to be able to separate the feeling from the behavior,” Thayer explained, emphasizing that children can be frustrated without being permitted to act out in unacceptable ways.

The conversation also addressed how parents can support children exposed to frightening events, including natural disasters, school shootings and family deaths. Thayer encouraged parents to consider a child's age and developmental stage, limit exposure to overwhelming news when appropriate, and create opportunities for honest conversations.

She recommended practicing “compassionate curiosity” by asking open-ended questions rather than immediately lecturing children or assuming how they feel.

Another key topic was the difference between supporting children and enabling them. Thayer said parents should allow children to experience manageable struggles while offering guidance and encouragement.

For example, helping a child work through difficult math homework builds problem-solving skills, while completing the assignment for them can undermine independence.

Thayer warned that consistently removing challenges can leave young adults unprepared to handle workplace responsibilities, academic setbacks and other adult pressures.

Parents seeking additional guidance can find parenting resources and age-specific information through Focus on the Family at focusonthefamily.com/parenting. Thayer also highlighted her recent article on promoting resilience in children, published through Authority Magazine on Medium.

As parenting continues to evolve, Thayer's central message is that children need more than protection from hardship. They also need the emotional tools, guidance and opportunities to learn how to overcome it.