Resilience
Resilient Families
What to Do When Bad Things Happen to Good Kids
“Fall seven times. Stand up eight.”—Japanese Proverb
Life happens. We all have to go though good and bad times. Resilience is the ability to bounce back after a difficulty or tragedy. So, how can we raise our kids to be resilient when faced with the harsh realities of life?
Tips for all parents…
• Talk about how bad things happen to people. Every person, at some point in life, will struggle with a difficult situation. What matters is how you react and work through the difficulty.
• Find other caring, trusted adults for your child to build a relationship with. Resilient people have a strong network of support—in their family and around their family.
• Talk about acts of resilience in your family. Maybe a family member found a new job after being unemployed. Maybe a grandparent got cancer, went through many treatments and recovered. Highlight the positive effects of being resilient.
• Tap into your sense of humor. Resilient people see the irony and humor in the darkest of situations.
• Be there for your child when he or she is going through a hard time. Listen to your child. Stick with your child throughout the difficult time—and after.
• Do family volunteer projects together. As kids become teenagers, help them find volunteer activities they’re passionate about. Nothing works better to get one’s attention off of one’s own troubles than to help someone else with theirs.
• Resiliency is a state anyone can achieve. Your child, however, will be more resilient in some situations than others. Help your child see where he or she is especially capable in handling tough experiences alone and in which circumstances your child should turn to others for help.
This was borrowed from this excellent website:
http://www.parentfurther.com/newsletter/when-bad-things-happen-to-good-kids
Resilience is a very effective way to counter the effects of conflict and hurt feelings. It is such a valuable tool to remain optimistic when in times of trouble! If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to let me know.