Building Resilience

Childhood is the perfect time to teach and build resilience. It’s much harder as an adult. Maybe impossible.  

Resilience stems from emotional and physical recovery, as well as the confidence to overcome the challenges they face. 

Here are some things you can do to help your kids build resilience:

• Enroll them in baseball or softball. 
• Let them get the zero on the forgotten homework assignment.
• Have them discuss the zero or failed test with the teacher themselves.
• Don’t confuse embarrassment with bullying. 
• Give accurate, if empathic, feedback. If you don’t like it, it’s OK for them to know. 
• Encourage them to explore their curiosity.
• Allow them to walk on the curb, climb the monkey bars, and play hockey in the street. 
• Allow them to talk to strangers. 
• If they don’t feel good, but want to continue, maybe let them. 
• Encourage them to play with others.
• Argue with them. Respectfully, of course. 
• Fail in front of them (sometimes). 
• Don’t get involved.
• Sometimes, “Because I said so” is the perfect answer. 
• Let them figure it out.

Life is full of disappointment, failure, and challenges. Let’s help kids build the skills to handle it.