Student Wellbeing

Like water off a duck’s back: helping your children navigate school challenges

As we begin Term 2 and the weather starts to cool, many families notice a shift. Routines are more established, energy levels can dip, and small challenges that once felt manageable can suddenly seem bigger, for both children and parents.

As a school counsellor, I’m often reminded that school life, by design, brings moments of discomfort. Friendships fluctuate, assessments loom, expectations increase, and emotions don’t always make sense, especially for students who are still learning how to name and manage what they feel. 

While we might wish to shield our children from every difficulty, wellbeing isn’t built through avoiding challenges, but through learning how to move through them.

One helpful image is that of water off a duck’s back. Ducks don’t avoid the rain, they’re often right in the middle of it, yet the water doesn’t soak in. They are created with protective layers that allow them to stay warm and buoyant despite the weather. In much the same way, our role is not to remove every stressful moment from our children’s lives but to help them develop the emotional and spiritual “layers” that allow challenges to pass without overwhelming them.

At home, this can look like listening without rushing to fix, validating feelings without magnifying them, and gently helping children put experiences into perspective. 

A tough playground moment, a disappointing result, or a friendship wobble might feel enormous in the moment, but these experiences don’t have to define how a child sees themselves or school. When children know they are supported, prayed for, and reminded of who they are in Christ, worries are less likely to seep too deeply.

Scripture reminds us of this balance. Proverbs 4:23 encourages us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Guarding a child’s heart doesn’t mean bubble-wrapping their world; it means teaching them where to place their trust and how to hand over what feels heavy.

As the term unfolds, a gentle question to ask your child might be, “Is this something we need to hold onto, or is this something we can let slide past?” You can even model this yourself, naming when you’re choosing not to dwell on a small stress and committing it to God instead.

In doing so, we teach our children an invaluable lesson: life will bring rain, but with God’s help, it doesn’t all need to soak in.

“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” - 1 Peter 5:7

Jarrad Bigg

Student Counsellor, Secondary School