Life is hard. Simply stated, we all have struggles whether or not we share them. However, one of our jobs as parents is helping our kids confront the hard stuff. Teaching them to begin looking at problems from different viewpoints is a positive, life skill. Yes, you can typically see all the negatives to a bad situation, but is there anything we learned? A constructive point? A benefit? Writing a list of pros and cons can help aid in this process too. As they begin to tackle more challenging issues, they’ll develop the mindset to persevere. And perseverance is a quality that increases confidence, self-esteem and happiness. As Jelly Roll sings, “I am not ok but it’s all gonna be alright.” Now that’s something to smile about.