Resilience…. it’s a word we’ve all heard and used before, but what does it really mean?
When we talk to our children about resilience, we’re talking about their ability to cope with life’s ups and downs and bounce back from the challenges they experience during childhood and adolescence. Resilience can also be described as giving new things a go and trying your best, standing up for yourself, being strong on the inside and dealing with challenges and still holding your head up high.
These challenges may be experienced at school or in the home environment and could be a result of moving towns, changing schools, outside school commitments, social situations with peer, academic workload, unfamiliar situations, assignments and exams (just to name a few…) Building resilience helps children not only to deal with current difficulties that are part of every day life, but also to develop the basic skills and habits that will help them deal with challenges that will come during adolescence and adulthood.
We know the feelings and emotions we experience ourselves as adults in the above situations can cause us varying levels of stress or anxiety, so the same can be said for our children. Resilience however is important for our own and our children’s mental health. It is a life skill we take with us into adulthood.
Research shows that building resilience in children helps them overcome obstacles more easily and reduces the chances of them suffering from anxiety or other stress-related disorders. In particular we want to raise resilient girls, as they are more likely to feel the need to be perfect and to struggle with confidence when they make even the smallest mistake.
How can we build resilience in our girls then? The latest research conducted by Beyond Blue has found that there are five areas that offer the best chance in building resilience in children and teens. As parents, caregivers, teachers and significant adults we can help our girls develop essential skills, habits and attitudes to build their resilience by:
Building, strengthening and promoting positive, supportive and trusting relationships with the adults and peers they interact with;
Building their independence and responsibility;
Creating opportunities to build their confidence by taking on personal challenges;
Helping them to identify, express and manage their emotions; and
Educating them about what resilience means and why it is an important aspect of their development
To find out more about building resilience in your child visit the Beyond Blue website https://healthyfamilies.beyondblue.org.au/healthy-homes
Here are a list of books to help foster resilience in girls at varying ages:
I can do it myself! Written by Stephen Krensky.
Recommended Age: 1-4
Sometimes you win- sometimes you learn for kids. Written by John C. Maxwell.
Recommended Age: 4-8
The girl who never made a mistake. Written by Gary Rubinstein and Mark Pett.
Recommended Age: 4-8
The most magnificent thing. Written by Ashley Spires
Recommended Age: 4-8
The confidence code for girls. Written by Katty Kay, Claire Shipman and JillElyn Riley
Recommended Age: 8-12
Sometimes you win- sometimes you learn for teens. Written by John Maxwell
Recommended Age: 13 and up
The resilience workbook for teens. Written by Cheryl M. Bradshaw
Recommended Age: 13 and up
The grit guide for teens. Written by Caren Baruch-Feldman
Recommended Age: 13 and up
Kara Krehlik
Deputy Principal - Students