Children have superpowers. Learn how kids overcome adverse childhood experiences.

An adverse childhood experience (ACE) can result in trauma. Kids need safe, loving families to help nurture superpowers within them to heal. 

When a child has gone through an ACE, the result can be trauma, grief, and other big emotions that may be difficult for the child to fully understand or process. A lack of control in stressful life situations can be an overwhelming experience for a child and may be difficult to verbalize. Emotions are not easily expressed or resolved when there are so many unanswered questions for the child who may also blame themselves for the situation.

Negative or new behaviors may result from the impacts of adverse childhood experiences. This is when children need love, compassion, empathy, and understanding the most, as well as stable adults who are willing to become educated on how to best meet them where they are at right now. 

The good news is children have superpowers to achieve amazing things in life. An ACE does not define a child or set the course of how his or her life story will turn out.

Download free superhero coloring sheets for children

Does your child love superheroes? Download a free coloring sheet so your child can color and learn about each superhero's unique superpowers. 

Superman can fly through the air. Wonder Woman commands her lasso of truth. Thor uses a hammer named Mjölnir. Children love superheroes because of the fascinating superpowers they have to fight injustices and help people in their time of need.

Did you know your child possesses unique superpowers too? After downloading these free superhero coloring sheets, parents can read more about these superpowers and learn how to nurture them in children.

Parents can help nurture superpowers in children 

Sometimes all a child needs is encouragement and opportunities to practice being malleable, courageous, empathetic, and persevering.

Malleable. Being malleable indicates the ability to adapt. This is hopeful information when a child has experienced adversity in their young life. Parents can help their child develop malleability. 

Courage. How can having courage get children through hard things? Courage can motivate your child to try a new challenge or overcome fears holding them back from their potential. 

Empathy. Developing empathy takes time and life lessons. Empathy is trying to understand how someone else feels. Empathy can be challenging for children to learn if they do not see real-life examples of it. Parents can model empathy for their children.

Perseverance. Children who went through an adverse childhood experience may not realize they developed perseverance as a result. Parents can bring awareness to their child by praising when courage is demonstrated to do something difficult or effort made to try something outside of their comfort zone.