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
