6 Ideas for Building Resilience in Children

6 Ideas for Building Resilience in Children

Most parents are under the impression that it’s their job to protect their children from difficulties, problems and failures at all costs. The problem with this approach is that it can make a child over-dependent on their parent and weaken their ability to process experiences and cope with stress.

Moderate stress can actually help your child develop an appreciation for the good things in their life. However, without resilience, bigger stressors can leave your child anxious, unhappy and depressed. This is why building resilience in children as early as possible is crucial. . So, here are 6 ideas for building resilience in children.

What Is resilience?

Resilience is a trait or an ability that allows you to adjust and bend or cope with problems without breaking down. Whether they are facing severe or chronic hardship, a resilient person can respond successfully to adversity, overcome it and move forward. It is an essential character trait because life is unpredictable, and the many challenges it brings can be hard to understand, manage and master.

Where Resilience Comes From

Resilience is a learned behaviour that becomes internalised, so it is something you can definitely teach and discuss with your children. It develops internally as a result of various external factors, such as life experiences and family relationships.

How to Build Resilience in Children

Your role as a parent gives you a unique opportunity to influence how your child grows into a resilient human being, unfazed by the problems and challenges that come their way.

To start your lessons on resilience, you might want to consider doing the following:

1. Develop a nurturing, supportive relationship with your child.

Let them know they have an adult they can depend on for help and guidance when things don’t work out as intended.

2. Encourage them to forge friendships and develop strong bonds with other adults in your family, such as their grandparents, aunts and uncles.

These people form part of your child’s core support group whom they can depend on to encourage and protect them when things become overwhelming.

3. Tell them that decisions have consequences.

Let them experience making decisions for the family, like which movie to watch on a weekend or what to have for dinner. This will not only boost their confidence but also inculcate a sense of ownership or responsibility.

4. Teach them that failure is a natural part of life.

In fact, it’s also a gift that allows people to appreciate what they have and to always be humble. It’s also an opportunity to attempt a do-over, do better and learn something new.

5. Help them recognise their strengths and appreciate their natural gifts.

Guide your child by tapping into their abilities and natural skills. Let them know how special and unique they are whilst also emphasising the need to be respectful and humble.

6. Ask your child to set their own goals and share their plan of action.

You can do this even during storytelling time. You can talk about the hero of the story and ask them what they would have done differently if they had a chance. This not only teaches children to be purposeful and creative in their thinking but also gives them a chance to put themselves in another’s shoes and learn all about empathy.

Life is hardly ever smooth sailing. It’s full of ups and downs – sometimes more ups for others and more downs for some. Prepare your child for whatever may come by helping them develop resilience while they’re young.