In a world filled with uncertainties and challenges, the ability to bounce back from adversity, known as resilience, stands as a cornerstone for navigating life’s ups and downs.
Defined by trusted sources like Time, Psych Central, and the American Psychological Association (APA), resilience equips individuals, especially children, with the strength and adaptability needed to thrive in various circumstances.
As parents and caregivers, fostering resilience in children becomes paramount to their overall well-being and success.
Resilience serves as the bedrock for successfully navigating life’s trials and challenges. Children with resilience show a greater capacity to persevere and succeed in the face of adversity. Moreover, resilient people tend to display higher levels of mental well-being and overall satisfaction in life.
Happy, strong, independent, resilient kids – isn’t that what every parent dreams of?
Resilience isn’t innate. It can and should be taught, and as parents, it is our duty to help our children develop resilience by fostering positive atmospheric conditions and providing them with the support and care they need.
Here are 5 ways you can help your kids be more resilient.
1. Encouraging Positive Self-Image
One effective strategy in nurturing resilience involves fostering a positive self-image within children.
This can be achieved by promoting a growth mindset, where praise is directed towards efforts rather than innate abilities. So instead of saying “You’re so smart!”, tell them “You worked so hard to make this happen, you must be very proud of yourself!”.
A child who has a positive self-image handles stress more easily because they believe in themselves and believe they will be able to cope with difficulties. Every time your child achieves something, no matter how small, praise them. We’re quick to point out everything they do wrong, so why not apply that same attention and spotlight to everything good they do?
For example, if a child puts on their clothes (even if it took forever) say to them: “Well done, you’re really good at dressing yourself. You’ve really made an effort to do it well!“
Emphasizing self-compassion and the acceptance of mistakes as opportunities for growth will significantly help them build a resilient mindset. When they’re atmospheric conditions are those of love, support, genuine care and acceptance, the kids will thrive.
Show them love and affection and repeat to them how important they are to you. When children feel valued and accepted for who they are, that fosters a strong foundation for resilience to flourish.
2. Setting Realistic Expectations
Placing unnecessary pressure on children to excel in every aspect of their lives can undermine their resilience. In today’s world, some kids seem to have busier agendas than adults!
It is important to set realistic expectations in line with the child’s age and establish achievable goals tailored to each child’s abilities and interests.
When a child makes a mistake, encourage them to think about how they can act differently next time. Your reaction to their mistakes is how they respond to their own mistakes later in life.
Are you yelling at them in disbelief, do you get angry or disappointed? Parents’ judgmental voice often becomes that pesky little voice we hear in our heads whenever we do something wrong later in life. And I know you don’t want that – you wouldn’t be reading this article if you did.
Photo credits: https://meryl.net/
Don’t expect perfection, celebrate their attempts and progress. Teach them how to analyze their mistakes and learn from them.
Emphasizing the importance of progress over perfection helps instill resilience, as kids learn to navigate setbacks with grace and determination.
3. Help Your Kids Develop Strong Emotional Intelligence
Teaching children to identify and express their emotions in healthy ways equips them with essential coping skills. Many adults spend years in therapy simply because they cannot identify their feelings, and don’t feel comfortable expressing or even feeling them.
Talk about emotions often, and help them recognize them. Narrate what you see for them, to help them find words for what they are feeling. For example:
- You seem sad because your favorite toy broke. I understand.
- You are angry because you don’t want to go home.
- You seem excited and proud about your artwork, tell me more about it!
Remember to point out all feelings, not just difficult ones.
If your kids are older, going over this emotions wheel could be a great family activity. Try acting emotions out and having them guess what you’re expressing!
Photo credits: https://www.davidhodder.com/emotion-and-feeling-wheel/
When it comes to coping, modeling effective strategies such as deep breathing and positive self-talk reinforces resilience-building behaviors.
Many apps offer meditation series for kids, created to establish good mental health habits early in life. Try them with your kids, make them fun!
Source: https://sea.mashable.com/social-good/14943/google-and-headspace-collaborate-on-new-mindfulness-resources-for-kids
Additionally, you can help them foster empathy by observing situations from someone else’s perspective.
“How did Peter feel when you took his toy, what do you think?”
Questions like this can help your child develop empathy and understanding of others. Perspective-taking improves social connections and resilience, empowering children to navigate challenging interpersonal situations with grace and empathy.
4. Encourage Problem-Solving
Children learn by watching their parents.
It’s important to show your kids how to deal with stress, how to resolve conflicts, and how to deal with difficulties. You can’t and shouldn’t shield them from difficulties – stress is a part of everyone’s lives.
Don’t rush to do things for them right away. Offer options, point out shortcuts, and allow your children to engage in problem-solving instead of fixing everything for them. You’ll be surprised how quickly they adapt!
Your example is a powerful model of behavior. Instead of hiding when something bothers you, it’s important to confront it and discuss it openly. The idea isn’t to transfer stress and anxiety to your children, or have them comfort you, but to show them how you think through solutions and overcome challenges.
We don’t need to overprotect our children, we need to equip them with coping mechanisms and resiliency.
Encountering problems is a natural part of life, and it’s essential to instill in them that everything is solvable, they are capable, and they can handle difficult situations. Encouraging them to tackle challenges, while providing guidance and support, helps them trust their own abilities.
Talk to your children about different problem-solving methods, but only after they’ve exhausted their own solutions. Promoting creative problem-solving by brainstorming multiple solutions will help them learn to adapt and innovate in challenging situations.
5. Help Your Kids Be More Resilient With TIPP Program
Nurturing resilience in children is a vital investment in their future well-being and success. By implementing the strategies outlined above, you can empower your children to navigate life’s challenges with confidence and grace.
Remember, resilience is not merely about bouncing back from adversity but also about bouncing forward, stronger and more resilient than before.
We can do that with our patented, neuroscience-backed program – TIPP.
The Inspired Performance Program (TIPP) for Kids is designed to help your kids create strong, beneficial neural pathways of healthy habits, resilience, and higher performance. When they go through our 30-day program, your child will experience greater calm, piece of mind, find it easier to focus, increased confidence, have an increased ability to learn – which will all result in a happier child and set them up for becoming a highly-functioning person.
The impact our program has on kids’ academics and performance is amazing, because it helps them deepen their focus and operate from place of higher performance.
If you’d like to know more, let’s talk.
Together, let’s commit to fostering resilience in our children, equipping them with the tools they need to thrive in an ever-changing world.
