We understand that firsthand here at Groundnuts Family. Behind the puppets, songs, books, and videos is a very small team—just two people doing our best to create Christian content that families can enjoy and learn from. We had to take a break from our monthly blog posts because, quite simply, life got hectic. After one of us went through an unexpected leg surgery, the focus needed to shift toward recovery. It wasn’t easy to step away from something we love, but sometimes God calls us to slow down, heal, and take care of what is right in front of us. That season reminded us of some important lessons about dealing with setbacks—and they’re lessons worth passing on to our children.
1. Teach Kids That Setbacks Are Part of Life
Children can sometimes believe that when something goes wrong, they have done something wrong. Help them understand that difficult seasons don’t necessarily mean they’ve failed or that God has abandoned them. Sometimes things simply happen that are outside our control.
You can share age-appropriate examples from your own life when plans didn’t work out. Let your children see that adults experience disappointment, too. What matters is how we respond when things don’t go as planned.
Remind them that a setback is a moment in their story, not the definition of their story. A bad day doesn’t mean they have a bad life. A difficult season doesn’t mean God has stopped working.
2. Teach Kids to Find God’s Shalom in the Middle of Hard Times
When something goes wrong, children may feel angry, sad, worried, or confused. They need to know that having those feelings doesn’t mean they aren’t trusting God. Instead of teaching them to push their emotions aside, teach them to bring those feelings to God. Philippians 4:6–7 reminds us that when we bring our worries to God through prayer and thanksgiving, His peace can guard our hearts and minds.
This is where you can introduce your children to the biblical idea of shalom. Shalom is more than simply being calm or having a peaceful day. It speaks of a deeper sense of wholeness, well-being, and peace that comes from God. Even when life around us feels uncertain or broken, God can give us a peace that isn’t dependent on everything going our way. Check out the video below to learn more about peace, or shalom.
Help your child practice turning to God when life gets difficult. You might say, “Things didn’t turn out the way we wanted, but God is still with us. Let’s ask Him for His shalom.” Then pray together and remind your child that God’s peace doesn’t mean the problem will instantly disappear. It means we don’t have to face the problem alone. As children learn this, setbacks can become opportunities to discover that God is their source of peace even when life feels anything but peaceful.
3. Help Them Look for What They Can Control
Setbacks often feel overwhelming because so much is outside our control. Kids can become frustrated when they can’t change the situation they’re facing. Help them focus on what they can do.
If they didn’t make the team, they can keep practicing. If they had an argument with a friend, they can apologize or choose kindness. If plans changed, they can decide how they’ll respond to the change.
This teaches children an important lesson: we may not control everything that happens to us, but with God’s help, we can choose how we respond.
4. Remind Them That Waiting Doesn’t Mean God Is Doing Nothing
Waiting can be particularly difficult for children. They want answers now, solutions now, and sometimes they want God to fix everything immediately.
But Scripture repeatedly shows us that God’s timing doesn’t always look like our timing. There are seasons when we have to wait, heal, learn, or simply trust. If your child is waiting for something they’re hoping for, encourage them to pray while they wait. Help them find ways to use the waiting season rather than simply wishing it away. Sometimes God does some of His deepest work in us while we’re waiting for the next chapter.
5. Let Your Children See You Trust God During Difficult Times
One of the most powerful ways to teach children about handling setbacks is to let them see you handle your own. This doesn’t mean pretending you’re never upset or pretending everything is easy. Children can learn a great deal from hearing a parent say, “This is hard, but I’m trusting God through it.”
When children see you pray during difficult circumstances, ask for help, remain thankful, and continue moving forward, they see what faith looks like in real life. Our children don’t need perfect parents. They need authentic examples of people who turn to God when life isn’t perfect.
6. Teach Them to Look for God’s Goodness Even in Hard Seasons
A difficult season doesn’t mean there is nothing good happening. Teach your children to look for small reminders of God’s goodness.
Maybe it’s a friend who showed kindness. Maybe it’s a beautiful day outside. Maybe someone helped your family when you needed it. Maybe you learned something important because of the challenge.
This doesn’t mean pretending the hard thing isn’t hard. Instead, it’s teaching children that hardship and gratitude can exist at the same time.
A simple question like, “What is one good thing God gave us today?” can gradually train children to look for God’s goodness even when circumstances aren’t ideal.
7. Teach Them That Rest Is Not Failure
This is a lesson that adults need just as much as children. Sometimes we think we have to keep going no matter what. But there are moments when the right thing to do is rest, recover, and allow ourselves time to heal. Even Jesus took time away from the crowds to rest and pray.
Children need to know that slowing down doesn’t mean they’re lazy or falling behind. Their bodies, minds, and hearts need rest. Whether they’re recovering from an illness, dealing with an emotional disappointment, or simply exhausted from a busy season, remind them that it’s okay to pause. God doesn’t measure their worth by how much they accomplish.
8. Remind Them That God Is Still With Them
Perhaps the most important lesson we can teach our children is that a setback doesn’t change God’s presence.
Joshua 1:9 reminds us to be strong and courageous because the Lord is with us wherever we go. That promise doesn’t say we’ll never experience difficult circumstances. It reminds us that we don’t face those circumstances alone.
When your child is discouraged, remind them: “We may not know what happens next, but we know God is with us.” That’s the foundation of Christian resilience. We don’t have to know exactly how everything will work out to trust the One who does.
A Note From the Groundnuts Puppet Team
Taking a break from our blog wasn’t part of the plan. We love creating content that helps parents bring biblical lessons into their homes, but with only two people behind Groundnuts Family, sometimes real-life responsibilities have to come first. After leg surgery, recovery needed to be the priority.
We’re grateful for God’s grace during that season and excited to get back to what we love—helping families bring the Bible into everyday life.
If Groundnuts Family has encouraged your family, you can help us keep creating by sharing our videos, songs, and blog posts, checking out our books and resources, sending a monetary gift, and praying for our ministry. Every share, purchase, kind word, and prayer makes a difference to our small team.
And remember: Setbacks aren’t the chapters we would choose, but they can become some of the places where faith grows deepest. Our children don’t need to believe life will always be easy. They need to know where to turn when it isn’t.
