Photo by Ben Wicks on Unsplash
Your children are strong. Stronger than you might be led to believe by the headlines screaming about the latest parental panic point. Resilience is the best kind of strength to have: It’s the ability to bend, not break, under pressure – and emerge stronger for it.
Resilience is hugely important. It leads to happier, longer lives. But like any strength, it must be tested and used – regularly – in order to grow.
Try these few actions:
- Don’t panic! When it comes to adversity, we can’t avoid curveballs in life. But we can model how to catch them, which will set a foundation for handling stress as your child grows.
- Resist the urge to rescue - Allow age-appropriate struggles. Little mistakes made when young help children cope better with bigger problems later in life.
- Give up control - Let your child make as many decisions as it’s safe and reasonable to. How else will she learn to navigate life’s choices?
- Love them for who they are, not what they do - Have high expectations for their behavior, but don’t let your love depend on their performance.
- Use your words - It’s OK to have strong feelings; role-play how to express them appropriately. Words help us manage our feelings to better bounce back from disappointments.
Learn more actions to practice here.
