As they grow up, your child may face setbacks. They are a part of life and can help them to become stronger and more independent as they develop the will power to bounce back. This makes exposure and risk taking an important part of their development. We spoke to one of the best sixth forms in North London about raising a resilient child and here’s what they said.
Talk About Aspirations
Setting goals can help to motivate children and give them something to strive for. Without having an end goal, things can seem pretty pointless and it can be easy to give up. When things get difficult, having them there can help children to “bounce back” and motivate them to find ways forward.
How to Problem Solve and Strategise
There’s no way to plan for every problem that life throws at you but developing problem-solving skills can certainly help. Irrespective of the situation, having the creativity and the ability to look at situations from different perspectives can help children to navigate their way out of them and help them to be more resilient in life.
This all starts with being able to identify a problem. Research is then needed to understand the situation better and brainstorm as many solutions as possible before ranking them appropriately to identify the best course of action.
Allow for Risk Taking
Risk taking doesn’t need to be as adventurous as a skydive. You just need to create opportunities for your child where they are able to experience failure. So, instead of keeping them in a protective bubble or stepping in to help, allow them the opportunity to face difficult situations where resilience is needed.
Encourage Them to Take Up a Sport
Sport is good as it helps children to stay active but also helps them in many other respects. It teaches them that it’s okay to lose and how to bounce back from difficult situations positively, e.g., through reflection and additional training.
Use Words of Encouragement
The words that you choose to use can have a big impact on your child’s outlook on things. Using positive words of encouragement can help them to believe in themselves when things go pear-shaped and give them the motivation to continue.
Knowing Their Own Limitations
Sometimes it’s important to recognise when you need help. It doesn’t mean giving up, but simply redirecting your efforts and finding more effective means.
Collaborative post. Photo by Melissa Askew on Unsplash