6 Ways to Teach Your Kids to Be Resilient
Sooner or later, we have to come to terms with the fact that we can’t always be there for our kids. At one point or the other, they need to stand up for themselves in the face of obstacles and adversities. Raising kids that can cope with stress and rise against challenges is no easy task as a parent. The good news is, with the right steps, every child can be resilient. Growing up, I experienced what bullying felt like and what it does to a child. I saw the effects of a broken family, low academic performance, low self-esteem, and general stress on the fellow kids around me. I made up my mind right then and there that my kids would be different. Now, most of these challenges happen in areas we can’t precisely predict or control, like bullying and divorce, but we can control how our kids react right after. Do they get back up, or do they stay down? Follow me as I guide you through 6 practical yet fun steps to teach your kids to be resilient. Now let’s get right to it! Teach them to be independent I’ve always heard people say experience is the best teacher. As a parent, I have come to agree absolutely with it. Being a parent doesn’t mean you always have to jump in every time your kids face an issue. Sometimes it means sitting back and watching them sort things out on their own. I have found that not only does this make them more confident, but it also helps me understand them better. I have found that every kid has a different way of solving their problems. Teach your child to find their way by letting them confront uncertainty and adversity in their way. Maintain a strong relationship with them Does leaving your child to sort things out mean staying entirely out of it? No. Part of being a parent means being there when things go south. A little push in the right path might be all they need. Maintaining a close relationship with your kids will help you know just when they are going into a shell and how to help them crack it right open. Handling their issues doesn’t mean they will always handle them correctly. They are sure to make mistakes. Be there to lift them up when they make the wrong choices, so it doesn’t affect their confidence. Teach them that the beauty of falling is getting right back up. That is resilience! Encourage healthy risks Let us face it; the real world is full of risks. Taking risk head-on is a skill many adults are still learning to master. Leaving the comfort zone is something many kids don’t do quite often, and when it comes down to it, they have no idea what to do and get [...]