Building Resilient Foundations in Children
One of the most valuable gifts we can give our children is resilience. This is the ability to bounce back from challenges, and it is a foundational skill that can open up more pathways to their success in the future.
At HeyKiddo, we view resilience as an essential self-management skill. One that allows kids to better manage their thoughts and emotions as they experience life.
We believe that children are naturally resilient, and require a nurturing environment that teaches them that they have the strength within themselves to overcome anything in their path.
As parents, it’s our responsibility to build resilience, so our kids can become stronger and wiser as they grow. The good news is that it can be easily modeled!
Children learn by example, and observing how adults handle setbacks provides potential ways for them to cope. Each time you display perseverance and hope in the face of a challenge, through your words or actions, this shows that you are resilient and that they can be too.
Resilience is all about how we frame our experiences as successes, failures, or somewhere in between.
Two sets of abilities that can help mold resilient children are mindset and problem-solving skills.
If they believe they can overcome tough experiences and can figure out how to do it, then that’s the recipe for resilience!
Foster a positive mindset. This can be done by encouraging your child to see setbacks as opportunities for growth. The next time you witness them making a mistake or feeling discouraged, acknowledge it and instill hope in them. You could say, “I know mistakes don’t feel good, but that feeling can motivate us to try again. The more you try, the more likely you’ll get it!”
Teach problem-solving skills. This can empower your child to think critically about a problem – how it came to be and how they can approach it strategically. When you see a problem, get curious about their approach. Consider asking, “How do you plan to tackle this problem?”
While modeling and talking about these skills are essential to kids learning them, there has to be a balance between hands-on and hands-off support. Hands-on support is directly teaching them, while hands-off is allowing them to figure it out until they ask for support.
Developing a range of coping strategies, both independently and collaboratively, to different challenges can ensure they are prepared to take on life’s hurdles. To continue nurturing the seeds of resilience in your child, download the HeyKiddo app today.