Resilience is the capacity to quickly recover from difficulties. Resilience is a much-needed character in this hard and competitive world. As adults with much experience in life, we can say with no doubt that, if we have sustained this far, it is because of the resilience we’ve developed through the tough times of our lives.
How can we imbibe resilience in children? Are they born with it? These are some questions that we need to understand in order to be able to help children grow stronger and emotionally stable.
The first step towards raising a resilient child is to 1) connect with the child at a deeper level. To be receptive and understanding of their problems is the key to their heart’s door. Once a connection is established, where the child trusts you and values your input, 2) help them to recognize their feelings. If a child is in a certain mood, ask them, if they are happy or sad or angry, or just bored. Understanding one’s feeling will help them to pin down the problem and makes them good problem solvers. 3) Teach them to seek help when needed, true strength lies in accepting our weaknesses and asking for help from the ones we trust. A child must be taught to seek help if he/she is unable to cope with the task in front of them. If a child is unable to finish a task, and is agitated or depressed 4) Motivate them, that true success lies in trying more than winning. When the pressure of winning and impressing others is off their head, they are more confident and de-stressed to actually complete the task.
Helping our children with coping strategies will make them much more resilient and pushes them to become problem solvers. Resilient people figure out to recover and find solutions to their problems. This world needs more people like that. A strong mind builds strong bodies and stronger lives, let us be the catalysts who drive quick recoveries in our children, as we too learn to heal and become stronger in the process.
Author: Vibha is an advocate by profession and a teacher by heart. She is the co founder of Legal Chap, a law-firm based in Bengaluru. She has been an active catalyst in the empowerment of children and women by advocating for their safety. She has led elaborate and interactive workshops and serves on the executive teams of non-profit organizations that promote child welfare and legal awareness.
