Helping Your Child Become More Resilient

As a parent, you probably want to rush to your child’s side every time there’s a problem and protect them from any emotional or physical harm. Of course, this is crucial at times, but it’s also important to let them deal with certain issues independently so that they learn how to be resilient. After all, you won’t always be with them to hold their hand and guide them down the right path. They will need to know how to fight their own battles in a safe and sensible way. An independent boys’ school in London have shared some advice on helping your child build resilience.

Children naturally try to push their boundaries and take risks when they’re playing, and parents should try and let it happen. In fact, sensible risk taking should be encouraged. While you should obviously protect them from serious harm, a bruised knee or grazed elbow is just a normal part of childhood and will help them understand their limits. When these mishaps do occur, try not to mollycoddle your child; instead, teach them to brush themselves off and carry on. As a result, you will equip them with the necessary skills to deal with adversity when they’re older.

You should also try and help them become more confident, as this will help them feel stronger when faced with hardships. You can help build their confidence by encouraging them to tackle manageable tasks without your help, praising them for their efforts rather than the end results. They need to feel proud of themselves for trying, even if they fail. This will help them develop a growth mindset – to persevere even if things don’t go right. Allowing them to conduct themselves independently will help them understand what they’re capable of and allow them to develop problem-solving skills.

As well as giving them manageable tasks, you should also encourage them to pursue extra-curricular activities, like music or sport. Again, this will give them an opportunity to demonstrate resilience and learn what their strengths and weaknesses are. 

Another way to help your child become more resilient is to allow them to experience and deal with difficult emotions on their own. If they’re bored, for example, they need to learn how to find a way to suppress that emotion without you being around to keep them entertained at all times. This is especially true as they get older. Letting them experience boredom will stimulate their imagination, creativity, and resourcefulness, as they come up with ways to amuse themselves. 

A resilient child is more likely to grow up with the ability to confront challenges head on, without relying on other people to support them.