Resilience refers to a child’s ability to bounce back from challenges, setbacks, or adversity.
A child develops resilience by developing coping and problem solving skills to deal with challenges they face. Resilience involves several factors including having a strong attachment; developing emotional literacy and problem-solving skills.
Teaching resilience from an early age is crucial for a child’s emotional and mental health development.
I will introduce three strategies parents can use to help their children become more resilient.
- Normalise failure and mistakes. Teach children that mistakes and failure are a natural part of learning and growing. This is especially important for children who struggle with acquisition of skills. Praise their efforts and perseverance.
- Model Resilience. Children learn by example. They watch and copy our behaviour. You can model resilience by talking through how you managed disappointments, challenges and difficult emotions. This also includes self care activities such as exercise, relaxation etc
- Encourage problem solving. You can help children develop problem solving skills by encouraging them to brainstorm solutions to problems. Avoid trying to solve the problem for them but offer guidance. Over time, they learn how to problem solve any challenges independently and become confident in their abilities.
By incorporating these (and other) strategies into your interactions with young children, you can help them develop the resilience they need to navigate life’s challenges effectively.