RESILIENCE: BOUNCE BACK & COME OUT STRONGER (PART 1)

Previously we have discussed much the importance of building on the habits of diligence and persistence in children. So while we may think of childhood as being a carefree time, children do suffer significant stress from adverse events, and possibly even more so now than ever before.

For children, low-level adversity comes in the form of general everyday stress such as disappointing results or challenges at school, home or in social situations. In contrast, significant affliction is caused by more severe stress due to issues such as bullying, learning difficulties or mental health issues. Thus, building resilience in children helps them to overcome obstacles more efficiently and reduces the chances of them suffering from anxiety or other stress-related disorders.

When we talk about resilience, we mean a person’s ability to bounce back or recover is essential, but it’s not the whole picture. A resilient child recovers from challenges, but they’ve learned to do more than that. They hold a different mindset. A mindset of resiliency that deeply believes: I am not my mistakes, I can try again, things will get better, and I am not alone. Yes, optimism is correlated positively to resilience.

Some children develop resilience through a natural process, while others need assistance. However, this doesn’t mean that those who require a little help will be less resilient over time compared to their counterparts. Parents need to remember that cultivating resilience is dependent on many factors and can take some time.

Resilient children may display the following qualities:

• demonstrates a genuine interest in school
• solves problems effectively
• assertive and capable of showing initiative
• empathetic toward others
• responsible and trustworthy
• sets and attains realistic goals
• maintains a sense of purpose and a positive outlook on life
• can act independently (autonomous)
• asks for support when needed

Children with resilience enjoy many benefits. They can ask for help when they need it, change their plans to accommodate the day, use strategies to manage their emotions, keep trying if something doesn’t work out – and generally cope with the challenges life throws at them more easily.

Now, we have looked into resilience, and its importance to children and we will be discussing further on how parents can help to build resilience in their children in our following section. Watch this space!

(To be continued in Part 2)……