EIGHT SETBACKS THAT CAN MAKE A CHILD A SUCCESS

Turn common adolescent missteps, from relationship blunders to rebellions that backfire, into character-building moments - by the author of Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen.

Every child messes up, sometimes in ways that seem sure to wreck their futures: a bad report card, poor sportsmanship, underaged drinking. These are tough moments for parent and child alike, often complicated by the fear that the misstep is also an indictment of our parenting. But what each of these "fails" has in common for our kids is the precious silver lining of a chance for character building and developing more grit - if we help them process their mistake well, we can work through whatever circumstances our child faces.

This invaluable playbook for anxious parents everywhere offers specific advice about what to say, what not to say, and what to do to help children in eight categories of tense situations. Distilled from Michelle Icard's decades of experience working with tweens, teenagers, and families, it also introduces her signature three-step approach to any kind of failure:

- Contain: Affirm your child, gather the facts, and control the narrative.
- Resolve: Explain what they did wrong, define clear consequences, teach them to apologize well, and develop a plan to rebuild trust.
- Evolve: Reaffirm and re-expand their rights, and establish rewards for good behaviors.

With empathy, insight, and optimism, Michelle Icard's advice ensures that a child's mistake or rebellion doesn't become the headline of their childhood, but instead becomes a launch pad to a better future, so parents and children will emerge stronger, content, and more connected on the other side.

Michelle Icard is a member of the Today show parenting team and NBC News Learn. The author of Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen and Middle School Makeover, she has been featured in the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, Redbook, Time, and People.