How to raise a Resilient Child

Whilst adults live their busy lives, juggling both parenthood and work, it’s easy to forget that children don’t have it so easy either. They are silently going through big changes in their lives. Learning new things every day, potentially change to a private school in Surrey, lose a tooth, encounter unkind people, make new friends and even deal with emotions they’ve never faced before. What helps a child in these situations is resilience. A child with resilience will learn to solve problems no matter what situation they’re in. It builds a feeling of confidence in themselves knowing they are capable of handling situations alone. It doesn’t mean leave the child to their own means, but rather, teach your child the art of resilience.

Teaching them to problem solve comes as the most obvious method. Many parents get over protective when it comes to their kids and without realising, radiate their own anxiety onto their child. This is actually bad for a child’s development as they will become accustomed to responding to issues with anxiety and fallback from any trials they may face. While in some cases this is acceptable, in most it is better to face issues and resolve them in order to move forward in life. 

Don’t provide your child with all the answers. One way a child learns to problem solve is by tapping into their own mind and attempting to figure it out. If they become familiarised with mum or dad coming up with all the solutions, they will struggle to function when situations arise when they are alone and therefore develop the ‘I-don’t-know’ mindset. They may not like it but they will eventually get used to it and develop a new level of confidence. 

Finally, model the resilience yourself. Children learn a lot just by watching their own parents, stay calm and be consistent. You’ve got this!

This is a collaborative post.