Raising Resilient Kids: Annie Semenova Of Be Momager On Strategies for Nurturing Emotional Strength in Children
An Interview With Dr. Kate Lund
Model Resilience Through Your Own Actions. My journey from Ukraine to Hollywood taught my daughter more than any words could. When I struggled with English at the beginning, instead of hiding my challenges, I’d openly share: “This is tough for mom, but I’m going to keep practicing until I get better.” She watched me persist, and now applies this same mindset to her own challenges.
In today’s fast-paced world, children face numerous challenges that can impact their emotional well-being. Developing resilience is key to helping them navigate these obstacles and grow into emotionally strong individuals. How can parents, educators, and caregivers foster this resilience in children? As part of this interview series, we had the pleasure to interview Annie Semenova.
Ten years ago, Annie made a life-changing decision to move from my native Ukraine to the United States with her five-year-old daughter. Shortly after settling in, she helped her sign with one of the top child acting agencies, marking the beginning of their exciting Hollywood journey.
As other mothers learned of her daughter’s success, they began seeking her advice on how to achieve similar results for their children, realizing that a few pieces of advice wouldn’t suffice, Annie developed a comprehensive, step-by-step program to guide mothers through the process of launching their children’s acting careers.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to ‘get to know you’. Can you tell us a bit about your background and your backstory?
I am a Ukrainian. I moved to the US 10 years ago, and like many immigrants, those first years challenged me in ways I never expected. Despite the obstacles, I found my passion and went on to launch 3 successful acting studios for kids, where we brought the magic of Broadway musicals to young performers. Everything shifted when my daughter began booking her first acting roles — suddenly, other moms started reaching out, asking me to guide them through the complex world of children’s professional acting. This led to the birth of my second business, Be Momager. What started as helping a few families soon became my true calling, and for the past 5 years, I’ve dedicated myself full-time to helping families navigate the entertainment industry safely and successfully.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to your particular career path?
When I first stepped into Hollywood, I discovered there was no clear roadmap for launching my daughter’s acting career — or my own. Industry insiders either kept their knowledge to themselves or had such unique paths that they couldn’t offer practical, step-by-step guidance. I had to learn everything through trial and error, making countless mistakes along the way. But through this journey, I recognized a crucial gap that needed filling. Other parents were struggling with the same challenges I had faced. This realization became the foundation of my business — turning my hard-earned experience into a clear pathway for other families to follow.
Can you share with our readers a bit about why you are an authority on raising resilient kids? In your opinion, what is your unique contribution to this field?
I’ve worked with kids most of my life and have been a mom for the last 15 years, I hope successfully. I always say that kids are my karmic audience 🙂 They’ve taught me how to work, to love, to have fun, to be patient, and to stay present in the moment. In return, I’ve taught them to sing and to act. We’ve spend a lot of time together. I firmly believe resilience develops through constantly overcoming challenges — we can see this clearly in the Ukrainian people, for example. When children act, they experience different stories and face obstacles they need to overcome. Moreover, they learn to collaborate and work in teams, which can be quite challenging too. Through acting, we create an environment where kids naturally develop resilience and other essential life skills while having fun.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
For me, it all comes down to resilience. My guiding light has been a quote I discovered at 17: “When you truly want something, all the universe conspires to help you.” This became one of my core beliefs, shaping how I view life’s challenges. Throughout my journey, no matter how difficult things got, I always looked for signs — those little omens guiding me in the right direction. Following these signs led me to leave Ukraine 10 years ago, pursuing my dreams while subconsciously saving my daughter from the tragic events that would unfold. When I look back, I feel proud of my resilience and courage, but I’m also deeply grateful. I know I didn’t do it alone — the Universe was working its magic, opening doors and creating possibilities I couldn’t have imagined.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. How can parents handle situations when a child faces failure or disappointment? What strategies can parents use to help a child bounce back?
This is one of my favorite topics to discuss. We cannot shield our children from every disappointment in life, even though we wish we could. In fact, as we discussed, these challenges help shape their character. When a child faces failure or feels disappointed, saying things like “don’t be upset” or “don’t cry” isn’t helpful. These responses can make them feel like we’re dismissing their emotions or teach them to suppress their feelings. Instead, we should acknowledge their emotions and help them feel truly heard and seen, with responses like “This must be very upsetting, I see how sad you are.” Sometimes, just this acknowledgment can shift their mood instantly. Other times, it takes longer for them to process their feelings, but they’ll remember and deeply appreciate how we supported them in those difficult moments. These experiences of being emotionally supported by their parents become cherished memories that can last a lifetime.
What role does parental modeling of resilience play in the development of emotional strength in children? Can you share an example of a resilient parenting moment that you experienced directly or that you have come across in the course of your work?
Parental modeling of resilience is one of the most powerful teachers in a child’s life — they learn more from watching us than from anything we say. When I moved to America, my daughter observed how I handled every challenge — the language barrier, building a new life, starting a business. There were multiple moments like this. Instead of hiding my struggles, I shared them appropriately: “This is hard for mom right now, but I’ll keep trying until I figure it out.” Through this, she learned that challenges are normal and persistence leads to growth. When children see us face difficulties with courage, practice self-care, and maintain hope during tough times, they develop these same skills. By being authentic about our struggles while showing healthy ways to overcome them, we teach our children that it’s okay to be human — to struggle, to feel deeply, and to keep going.
What approaches do you recommend to foster a growth mindset in children, encouraging them to see challenge as opportunities to learn?
I believe in focusing on effort rather than natural talent — saying “I saw how hard you worked on that audition” instead of “you’re so talented.” When a child faces disappointment, like not booking a role, we turn it into a learning moment: “What made you proud about your performance? What would you try differently?” I love sharing stories about famous actors’ early struggles and encourage parents to share them with their kids, showing them that success comes from persistence, not perfection. The goal is creating a safe space where taking risks and making mistakes are seen as valuable parts of growing and learning.
How can parents balance providing support with allowing their children to experience and overcome difficulties on their own?
The key to supporting children is being their safety net while letting them learn to fly. Instead of jumping in to solve every problem, ask guiding questions like “How do you think you could handle this?” When they struggle, acknowledge their feelings — “I see this is challenging” — but give them space to work through it. Most importantly, celebrate their efforts to solve problems independently, even when the outcome isn’t perfect. This builds both confidence and resilience, teaching them that taking initiative matters more than getting it right the first time.
What self-care practices would you recommend for parents to maintain their own resilience while going through the everyday challenges of raising children?
Self-care isn’t selfish — it’s essential for being a strong parent. Take those 15 minutes each morning for meditation or journaling, and use your child’s acting classes or rehearsals as opportunities for “me time.” Sometime I run while my daughter dance. Maintain your own interests and goals outside of your child’s career — it shows them the importance of personal growth. Most importantly, don’t feel guilty about asking for help or setting boundaries. Remember, taking care of yourself shows your child what healthy self-respect looks like. Only happy parent can raise a happy person.
Can you please share “5 Strategies To Raise Children With Resilience and Emotional Strength”?
Here are 5 key strategies I’ve learned through working with young actors and raising my own daughter:
Model Resilience Through Your Own Actions. My journey from Ukraine to Hollywood taught my daughter more than any words could. When I struggled with English at the beginning, instead of hiding my challenges, I’d openly share: “This is tough for mom, but I’m going to keep practicing until I get better.” She watched me persist, and now applies this same mindset to her own challenges.
Validate Feelings While Encouraging Problem-Solving When my daughter doesn’t book a role she wanted, instead of saying “don’t be sad” or rushing to fix her feelings, I acknowledge them: “I see how disappointed you are. This audition meant a lot to you.” Then, when she is ready, I help her explore what she learned and how she may approach the next opportunity.
Celebrate Effort Over Outcome. In our acting classes, we focus more on a child’s preparation and courage than on whether they got the part. “I saw how you practiced your lines every day” means more than “you’re so talented.” This teaches them that their worth isn’t tied to success or failure, but to their dedication and growth.
Create Safe Spaces for Risk-Taking. Whether it’s in acting class or at home, children need to feel safe making mistakes. I always tell my students “this is your laboratory for trying new things.” When they know it’s okay to fail, they become braver in their choices — both on and off stage.
Foster Independence While Providing Support Think of yourself as the safety net below a trapeze artist. You’re there if needed, but you don’t interfere with their performance. When my daughter struggles with a scene, instead of immediately offering solutions, I ask “How do you think you could make this character connect to your heart?” This builds both problem-solving skills and confidence.
How can mindfulness and emotional regulation techniques be incorporated into daily routines to support children’s emotional resilience?
From my experience with young actors and my own child, building emotional awareness needs to be fun and natural — not another “lesson” to learn. We use simple techniques like “butterfly breathing” before auditions — taking calming breaths while imagining butterfly wings slowly opening and closing. Kids love it!
During our drives to auditions or classes, we play the “Notice Game” — sharing what we see, hear, and feel in the moment. This helps them stay present instead of getting nervous about what’s ahead. And at home, we have our special “feeling time” at dinner where everyone shares a challenging moment and favorite moment from their day and how they dealt with it. This way, kids learn that all emotions are normal and discover practical ways to handle them.
It’s not about fancy meditation techniques — it’s about creating simple daily moments where kids can connect with their feelings and learn to navigate them.
Are there any specific tools or resources (books, apps, courses) you recommend for individuals looking to improve in this area?
From my experience guiding families in the entertainment industry, I’ve found a few resources particularly helpful. For parents, I always recommend “The Whole Brain Child” by Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson — it really helps understand how children’s emotional development works.
For developing emotional vocabulary, my go-to book is “In My Heart: A Book of Feelings” by Jo Witek — it’s wonderful for starting conversations about emotions with younger children. Older kids connect well with “Big Life Journal” — it’s both a journal and podcast that promotes growth mindset thinking.
But honestly, the most powerful tool isn’t a book or app — it’s creating regular family check-ins and emotional safety routines. In my courses for parents, we focus on building these daily practices that support emotional resilience. I even created a meditation for parents, helping them connect with their own inner child. Sometimes the simplest tools, like our “butterfly breathing” technique or the “Notice Game” we play in the car, work better than any fancy resource.
Wonderful. We are nearly done. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
In today’s world, I guess I would say it would be Angelina Jolie. I would love to collaborate and see how we could help more kids around the world, especially Ukrainian kids and kids from countries that are in a war right now.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Here is my Instagram: @annie.semenova and my web site: https://bemomager.pro/eng
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Raising Resilient Kids: Annie Semenova Of Be Momager On Strategies for Nurturing Emotional Strength… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.