Being a parent can be one of the hardest jobs in the world. When your child goes through rejection, it can be difficult for both you and your child.

Whether it’s a rejection from a sports team, a school program or even from friends, rejection is a natural part of life. It’s important for parents to help their children navigate through these situations and provide them with the support they need to bounce back. Here are some tips for parents who are dealing with their child’s rejection.

1. Validate Your Child’s Feelings

The first step in dealing with rejection is to validate your child’s feelings. Acknowledge that what your child is feeling is real and that it’s okay to feel sad or disappointed.

Let them know that you understand how tough it can be to face rejection, and that you’re there for them whenever they need you. Encourage them to talk about their feelings and listen to what they have to say. When your child feels heard, they’re more likely to open up and share their emotions with you.

2. Help Your Child Understand That Rejection is Normal

Rejection can be tough, but it’s also a natural part of life. Everyone experiences rejection in one form or another at some point in their life.

Help your child understand that they’re not alone and that they’re not the only one going through this. Talk to them about a time when you experienced rejection and how you dealt with it. It’s important for your child to know that they can overcome this and that it’s not the end of the world.

3. Encourage your Child to Keep Trying

Rejection can be a blow to your child’s self-esteem, but it’s important to encourage them to keep trying. Help them come up with a plan of action to try again or to find a new opportunity.

Identify their strengths and support them in their pursuits. Encourage them to set realistic goals and to work hard to achieve them. The more your child sees that they’re capable of accomplishing things, the more likely they are to bounce back and try again.

4. Teach Your Child to Cope with Failure

Failure is a part of life, and your child needs to learn how to cope with it. Teach them that it’s okay to make mistakes and that everyone fails at some point. Help them develop coping skills that they can use when they experience failure.

This could be anything from taking a break and doing something they enjoy to talking to a friend or therapist. When your child learns how to cope with failure, they’re more likely to recover and keep going.

5. Build Your Child’s Resilience

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity, and it’s an important skill for your child to develop. Help your child build their resilience by teaching them how to problem-solve, how to be persistent, and how to stay optimistic.

Encourage them to develop a growth mindset, where they see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. The more resilient your child is, the more likely they are to recover from rejection and thrive.

6. Help Your Child Develop a Support System

It’s important for your child to have a support system to rely on when they’re facing rejection. Encourage them to talk to friends, family or a therapist.

Help them build friendships and find activities that they enjoy to boost their self-esteem. When your child has a support system in place, they’re more likely to bounce back and feel good about themselves.

7. Don’t Take It Personally

As a parent, it can be difficult not to take your child’s rejection personally. But it’s important to remember that rejection is not a reflection of your parenting or your child’s worth.

Avoid blaming yourself or your child for the rejection. Instead, focus on supporting your child and helping them through this difficult time.

8. Model Resilience

Children learn from their parents. By modeling resilience and coping skills, you can help your child develop these important traits. Show them how you cope with adversity and failure.

Talk about your own experiences with rejection and what you learned from them. When your child sees you being resilient, they’re more likely to model that behavior.

9. Seek Help if Necessary

If your child is struggling to cope with rejection, seek help from a therapist or counselor. They can provide your child with the support and tools they need to work through their feelings and bounce back.

Don’t be afraid to reach out for help if you need it.

10. Celebrate Your Child’s Successes

It’s important to celebrate your child’s successes, no matter how small they may seem. Celebrating success can boost your child’s self-esteem and help them feel good about themselves.

Encourage your child to set achievable goals and celebrate when they achieve them. The more your child sees that they’re capable of succeeding, the more resilient they’ll become.