Have you ever wondered how you can hep build resilience in your child? A resilient child is one that can thrive even in the face of life’s challenges, like adapting to a new school, friendship problems or a tricky exam.
As parents, we try to help our children have a carefree upbringing but it’s impossible to shield them from absolutely every hardship. It would be better for us to spend our time equipping them with the necessary skills to overcome these setbacks.
Here are some tips from an independent school in West Sussex to help parents encourage their child to be more resilient.
disclosure: this is a partnered post
Build A Regular Routine
Maintaining a regular routine is great for children, especially when they’re young, because it helps ground them during times of distress. If they are struggling with something at school, for example, they will find comfort in knowing that things at home will operate as they normally do.
Help build their confidence up by praising their efforts, rather than focusing on the results, and encouraging them to pursue hobbies and ultimately develop important skills. This is just one important step in helping to build resilience in your child.
Explain and Show Them Perspective
Try and help your child understand how to keep things in perspective, but don’t let them think that their feelings aren’t valid. Rather than implying that they have nothing to worry about or be upset over compared to other people, instead talk to your child about how they might feel about the problem in the long-term. Will they still be upset over this in a year or ten?
You should also talk to them about how they have handled similar challenges in the past, to remind them of what they are capable of. Praise them for the strength they have developed over the years and how this has prepared them for setbacks in the future. Essentially, the idea is to help them see that there is a hope beyond the present situation, which helps to build resilience in your child.
Discuss Goals Openly
Chat with your child about their goals on a regular basis, both short and long-term. Remind them that it’s perfectly okay for these goals to change depending on the situation. Change is inevitable and nothing to be fearful of. If your child has obtainable goals to work towards, they will be more determined to beat the obstacles and stay optimistic about their future.
Show Your Support
There are lots of other ways you can help build resilience in your child, like teaching them to practise mindfulness when they’re experiencing heightened anxiety or helping them handle uncomfortable social situations using role play. Peer pressure, for instance, is something that you can teach them about, emphasising that it’s okay to say no.
Most importantly, you should show your child that they have your full support, no matter what they might be going through. Knowing that they have someone to fall back on will give them the confidence they need to tackle any problems they face.
We hope these few tips have helped you to better understand ways that you can help build resilience in your child. A resilient child will have a much better chance of tackling all of life’s challenges head on, therefore paving the way to a happy and successful life.
