Episode 354: Raising Resilient Kids in an Anxious Generation with David Thomas

In this episode, host Erin Kerry sits down with David Thomas, executive director of Daystar Counseling in Nashville, and co-author (with Sissy Goff) of the new book Capable: How to Teach Your Kids the Strengths, Skills, and Strategies to Build Resilience, to unpack why so many kids today feel less capable than ever, and what parents can actually do about it. Together, they discuss the accelerated pace of modern childhood, the real difference between confidence and happiness, "language inflation" and how over-labeling normal struggles as trauma or toxic can backfire, where the gentle parenting movement may have overcorrected, why boundaries create security rather than take it away, and how faith fits into raising resilient kids. You'll also learn the "three C's" framework, coping, competence, and challenge, that defines capability, why calling every hard season "trauma" can take language away from people who've experienced real trauma, and a simple two-question exercise to spot where you might be doing too much for your kids. Whether you're in a tough season with your own child, wondering if you've swung too far into "gentle everything," parenting kids anywhere from toddlerhood through young adulthood, or just want to raise kids who believe in their own capability, this conversation offers grounded, faith-informed wisdom for the long road of parenting.

Links Mentioned: David Thomas & Sissy Goff's book: Capable: How to Teach Your Kids the Strengths, Skills, and Strategies to Build Resilience Companion workbook: I Am Capable Raising Boys and Girls podcast raisingboysandgirls.com Erin's mailing list: Erin’s mailing list: https://erinbkerry.mykajabi.com/email-list Erin's courses: erinbkerry.com