When Stress Feels Like the Enemy
Parents often tell me, “I just want to take away my child’s stress.”
From Pressure to Purpose: Helping Kids Turn Stress Into Growth: It’s an instinct that comes from love — we want our kids to be happy, confident, and carefree. But what if I told you that stress itself isn’t the problem? What if avoiding stress is what’s keeping our kids from learning how capable they truly are?
The truth is, stress is part of being human. It’s how we respond to it that makes the difference.
From Pressure to Purpose: Why Stress Isn’t Always Bad
Stress gets a bad reputation, especially when we see it leading to anxiety, burnout, or disordered eating. But in the right amounts — and with the right support — stress can actually be one of the most powerful tools for growth.
When kids experience a challenge, their brains release chemicals that help them focus, adapt, and problem-solve. Over time, this builds resilience — the ability to recover and grow stronger.
What harms kids isn’t the stress itself; it’s chronic, unmanaged stress combined with a lack of coping tools and support. That’s when pressure becomes panic, and drive turns into distress.
So the goal isn’t to erase stress, but to teach kids how to use it — to connect it to purpose, meaning, and values.
From Pressure to Purpose: The Roots & Weeds Analogy
In my workshops, I use the Roots and Weeds analogy to help families visualize what’s really going on beneath the surface.
🌱 Roots represent our child’s values, self-worth, and positive coping tools — the things that keep them grounded.
🌾 Weeds are the negative behaviors that grow when those roots aren’t tended — avoidance, anxiety, perfectionism, disordered eating, or burnout.
We can’t just pull the weeds. We have to nourish the roots.
That means giving kids the tools to identify what’s stressing them, understand what matters most to them, and take action that aligns with their values — even when it’s hard.
What Happens When We Remove All Stress
It’s natural to want to make things easier for our kids. But if we remove every obstacle, we also remove their opportunity to build confidence and competence.
A child who never struggles to finish a project, make a mistake, or resolve a conflict doesn’t learn how capable they are. When we protect kids from stress instead of preparing them for it, we send an unintended message: “You can’t handle this.”
Instead, our message needs to be: “You can handle hard things — and I’m here to help you learn how.”
Teaching Kids to “Chase Stress” in Healthy Ways
In the From Pressure to Purpose workshop, I’ll teach parents how to help kids move toward manageable challenges instead of avoiding them.
Here’s a preview of what we’ll cover:
✅ Understanding good vs. harmful stress
✅ Recognizing your child’s stress signals — and your own
✅ Building positive coping tools (like mindfulness, journaling, or physical activity)
✅ Using values as a compass — helping kids identify what matters most so stress has meaning
✅ Turning pressure into purpose — reframing challenges as opportunities for growth
You’ll walk away with actionable tools to help your child feel confident, capable, and calm — no matter what life throws their way.
A Personal Note
As a parent, I’ve seen firsthand how easy it is to want to fix everything for our kids. But what I’ve learned — both personally and through years of coaching — is that growth comes from guidance, not control.
When we model calm, curiosity, and compassion in the face of stress, our kids learn to do the same. They begin to see challenges not as threats, but as invitations to grow.
That’s what this workshop is all about: helping families transform stress from something to fear into something that fuels purpose, resilience, and connection.
Join the Workshop: “From Pressure to Purpose: Helping Kids Turn Stress Into Growth“
📅 Date & Time: November 4th at 7:00 PM
💻 Location: ONLINE WEBINAR LINK WILL BE SENT ONCE YOUR REGISTRATION IS CONFIRMED
⏱ Duration: 45–60 minutes
🎟 Reserve your spot: Use this link to reserve
You’ll leave inspired, equipped, and ready to help your child — and your whole family — thrive under pressure.
Final Thought
Stress doesn’t have to be the enemy.
When we reframe it, understand it, and use it intentionally, it becomes one of our most powerful teachers.
Help your child turn pressure into purpose — and rediscover your own in the process.
👉 Register for the workshop here.
Curious about parent coaching and the Move FORWARD parent coach program? Schedule a complimentary call here.