We were recently sifting through old photos and this gem showed up. Aren't those giant and slightly slanted bangs fabulous?!
And it got me thinking about how we aren't really "officially" taught some things in life...such as how to deal with stress and nerves, but instead they are just experienced along the way.
This week, both of my kids will take the ISASP tests at school. I remember taking something similar and it was my least favorite time of the year....because I am not a great test taker (or at least I wasn't back then).
So this morning, I told my kids that I wanted them to try hard and work to achieve their best result, but also to remember that one single test will not make or break their future (sometimes life is all about failing forward). My husband chimed in with great ideas on how to best check your work (he's great with tests!).
We talked about how being nervous and feeling stress isn't always a bad thing (there will be ebbs and flows), and that we can do small things to make it manageable. It's our reaction to stress that will help us persevere.
In a way, the "pep talk" I gave my kids is the one I give myself.
What have you learned along the way about stress and nerves? What do you tell your kids? Or yourself?