What My Children Teach Me About Resiliency

One of the greatest leadership classrooms I’ve ever sat in isn’t a boardroom or a conference—it’s been on the sidelines, in studios, and in the quiet moments watching my children show up again and again.

My children are athletes. My daughter danced for ten years, two of those years competitively. During that season of her life, I watched her move through days that would exhaust most adults. She would go to school, attend cheer practice, soccer practice, track practice, or a game, and then head straight to dance practice—four to five days a week. She often came home around 9 p.m., just in time to start homework, only to do it all again the next day. Weekends weren’t for rest; they were for competitions.

And yet, what stayed with me most wasn’t the schedule—it was her spirit.

Resiliency Is Not Loud

Resiliency doesn’t always look like triumph or celebration. Sometimes it looks like showing up quietly, even when the outcome isn’t what you hoped for.

There were times when her team or group didn’t perform well. They didn’t place. They didn’t hear their names called. And still, she smiled. She got up the next week and returned to practice with the same commitment as before. No bitterness. No excuses. Just effort.

Watching her taught me that resiliency isn’t about avoiding disappointment—it’s about how you respond to it.

Learning to Keep Going

In her second competitive year, my daughter participated in a duo. She and her partner danced their hearts out week after week. Sometimes they placed. Other times, they didn’t. Judges’ comments came with critique, correction, and challenge.

What stood out to me was not whether they won—it was how they processed feedback. They listened. They adjusted. And they performed again the following week with smiles on their faces.

That is resiliency in its truest form: the ability to take feedback without letting it define you, to keep moving forward without losing joy.

Resiliency as a Leadership Skill

As a leader and a mother, watching my children has reshaped how I think about resilience. It isn’t about toughness or pushing through at all costs. It’s about persistence paired with grace.

In leadership, we don’t always see immediate results. Not every effort is rewarded. Not every season produces visible success. But like my children, we are called to keep showing up—to learn, refine, and try again.

Resiliency teaches us that growth often happens in repetition, not recognition.

The Quiet Confidence of Resilient Children

What my children have shown me is that resiliency builds quiet confidence. The kind that doesn’t need constant validation. The kind that understands that effort matters, even when outcomes vary.

As parents, especially parents raising athletes, we don’t just teach resiliency—we witness it. And in doing so, we’re reminded that resilience is not something we demand of our children; it’s something we learn from them.

Final Reflection

My children have taught me that resiliency isn’t about never falling—it’s about how often you’re willing to get back up with a willing heart.

As leaders, parents, and individuals, may we carry that same spirit: showing up fully, learning continuously, and moving forward with grace—no matter the result.