S7 E3: Raising Capable Kids: Resilience Over Rescue with Sissy Goff & David Thomas

What happens when our desire to protect our kids starts getting in the way of preparing them?

In this episode, Suzanne sits down with bestselling authors and counselors Sissy Goff and David Thomas to talk about what it really takes to raise capable kids — children who can face discomfort, navigate hard emotions, solve problems, take healthy risks, and grow through adversity.

Drawing from more than 30 years of counseling kids and families, Sissy and David unpack some of the cultural and parenting patterns that may unintentionally be weakening resilience. They talk about empathy without emotionalism, the language we use around trauma and triggers, the limits of constantly rescuing our kids, and why capability is built through experience — not simply explained.

And if you're realizing you may have over-helped, over-protected, or created patterns you want to change, this conversation offers plenty of hope. Parents can shift the environment at home and begin giving kids the opportunity to discover just how capable they really are.

→ Why resilience and capability matter more than constant comfort → How rescuing, overprotecting, and some parenting trends can unintentionally hold kids back → The difference between healthy empathy and allowing emotions to lead everything → How words like trauma, trigger, and toxic can shape the way kids understand difficulty → Practical ways to help kids build confidence, coping skills, and independence → How parents can change course — even after years of doing things differently

Sissy Goff, M.Ed., LPC-MHSP, and David Thomas, LMSW, are New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling authors and the Executive Directors of Daystar Counseling Ministries in Nashville.

For more than 30 years, they've helped children, teens, and families navigate the challenges of growing up. Together, they've written 25 bestselling books and co-host the Raising Boys and Girls podcast, which has been downloaded more than 15 million times.

Their newest book, Capable: How to Teach Your Kids the Strengths, Skills, and Strategies to Build Resilience, equips parents with practical ways to help children discover their strength, courage, and capability.

📲 Instagram → @sissygoff 📲 Instagram → @raisingboysandgirls 🌐 Learn more about Capable → www.raisingboysandgirls.com/capablebook 📚 Capable: How to Teach Your Kids the Strengths, Skills, and Strategies to Build Resilience → Buy Here

Want more trusted tools to help you raise confident, resilient kids with biblical wisdom and practical support?

→ Beacon Parent: www.beaconparent.com → Suzanne's trusted books + parenting resources: Beacon Parent Vetted List → Get Beacon Parent in your inbox: Subscribe → Hear More on Instagram: @beacon_parent → Work with Suzanne Phillips: SuzannePhillips.net

🎧 If this episode encouraged you, follow The InFormed Parent, leave a review, and share it with another parent who needs the reminder: capable kids are built through opportunities to grow, not lives without difficulty.