awesomescopeResilience is defined as the ability to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.
As we grow, we naturally gain resilience through our experiences however, a lot of us can forget what it was like to be a child with limited knowledge on how to understand our own feelings. As parents, there are ways in which we can help our children develop resilience in a healthy way.
Encourage Independence
Although it may seem difficult, allowing your child small responsibilities such as getting themselves ready in the morning or organising their own belongings will help them when it comes to quick problem solving. They will learn how to think rationally on their own and come up with their own solutions when faced with an unfamiliar situation.
Supportive Friendships
There are some things that children cannot learn from their parents, a child needs friendships to learn about how to handle small conflicts or understanding different types of people. It is also helpful when a child simply needs the comfort of another person who is at a similar point in life.
Allow Risks
Taking healthy risks is one of the most effective ways to learn life lessons and understand the concept of failure. It is important for a child to know that failure is not the end of the world.
Trying and failing something is one of the best ways for a child to understand where they went wrong and what to do differently next time.
As a parent, instead of eliminating all possible risks, allow your child to try and navigate some things on their own and let them know that people don’t always get things right on the first attempt.
Recognising Emotions
Recognising and naming an emotion is the first step to solving the problem at hand. When a child can effectively name the emotion they are experiencing, they can express it and look for an appropriate strategy to help them feel better. For example, if a child can recognise that they are feeling anxious, they will know that they need to find a way to calm down and they will do so in a manner that suits them individually.
Don’t Give All The Answers
When a child is asking questions, our natural response is to answer them in a way that comforts the child but this can give them a false sense of security. Sometimes, you must give an open ended answer. It is okay to respond with “I don’t know” from time to time.
A resilient child will grow up able to handle difficult things and they will be more likely to take on leadership roles based on their ability to deal with the unexpected.
As school plays an important part in helping to develop well-rounded children, it’s important to choose a school for your child which has a good pastoral care team, like this private kindergarten in New York. Resilience does not happen overnight but once a child learns, they won’t forget these skills.
