In this competitive world of social media children are bound to face stress. The children have to deal with various problems ranging from adapting to a new classroom, bullying by classmates, changing schools, studying for an exam or even abuse at home or dealing with the death of a loved one. The children need to be resilient to deal with stress.
What is resilience?
Resilience is the ability to cope with ups and downs and bounce back from stress, adversity, failure, challenges, or even trauma.
Resilience is shaped partly by the individual characteristics we are born with (our genes, temperament and personality) and partly by the environment we grow up in - our family, community and the broader society.
Resilient child have the following characteristics:-
- They don’t fear falling short of expectations.
- They are curious, brave, and trusting of their instincts.
- They know their limits and they push themselves to step outside of their comfort zones.
- This helps them reach for their long-term goals and it helps them solve problems independently.
Importance of Resilience
· Children with greater resilience are better able to manage stress, which is a common response to difficult events. They can handle everyday pressure well.
· Develops the basic skills and habits that will help them deal with challenges later in life, during adolescence and adulthood.
· Important for children’s mental health. Stress is a risk factor for mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, if the level of stress is severe or ongoing. It reduces the mental health issues as well when they are more resilient.
Tips for parents to increase resilience in their children: -
1) Healthy risk taking
Push a child to go outside of their comfort zone, but results in very little harm if they are unsuccessful. E.g. Trying a new sport, participating in the school play.
When kids avoid risk, they internalize the message that they aren’t strong enough to handle challenges. When kids embrace risks, they learn to push themselves.
2) Make connection
Teach your child how to make friends, including the skill of empathy, or feeling another's pain. Encourage your child to be a friend in order to get friends. Build a strong family network to support your child through his or her inevitable disappointments and hurts. They feel empowered to seek guidance and make attempts to work through difficult situations. It also helps you to model coping and problem-solving skills to children.
3) Accept that change is a part of life
Change often can be scary for children and teens. Help your child see that change is part of life and new goals can replace goals that have become unattainable. This will help the child to adjust with the new situation, if he accepts the change.
4) Opportunities for self awareness
Tough times are often the times when children learn the most about themselves. Help your child with leading discussions of what he has learned after facing down a tough situation.
5) Optimistic Outlook even during hard times
An optimistic and positive outlook enables your child to see the good things in life and keep going even in the hardest times. Help him or her see that there is a future beyond the current situation and that the future can be good.
6) Exercise
Exercise helps strengthen the brain and make it more resilient to stress and adversity. While team sports are the most popular method of consistent exercise for kids, all kids really need is time spent outdoors engaging in a physical activity. If team sports don’t appeal to your child, encourage them or introduce them to bicycling, playing tag, or even just swinging at the playground. These are all great ways for kids to engage in free play that also builds resilience.
7) Embrace mistakes in order to have growth mindset
Failure avoiders lack resilience. In fact, failure avoiders tend to be highly anxious kids. This causes risk avoidance. Embracing mistakes (your own included) helps promote a growth mindset and gives kids the message that mistakes help them learn. Motivate the child by talking about a mistake you made and how you recovered from it.
8) Teach problem solving skills
Teach problem solving skills by supporting them and not solving the problem. We all need help sometimes, and it’s important for kids to know they have help. By brainstorming solutions with kids, parents engage in the process of solving problems. Encourage kids to come up with a list of ideas and weigh the pros and cons of each one.
9) Manage Emotions
Teach your kids that all feelings are important and that labeling their feelings can help them make sense of what they’re experiencing. Tell them it’s okay to feel anxious, sad, jealous, etc. and reassure them that bad feelings usually pass.
10) Model Resiliency
The best way to teach resilience is to model it. We all encounter stressful situations. Use coping and calming strategies. Deep breathing can be an effective way to work through stress. Always label your emotions and talk through your problem-solving process.
#Progressive Youth program # Rinkal Karia # Directional Coach and Guide for Youth# Love to help people # Feeling Awesome
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