Building Resilience in Your Child

What is Resilience?

The ability to overcome adversity, trauma, pressures, threats, losses, and pain – perhaps even experiencing growth during times of hardship.

Characteristics of Resilient People

• Aware of how they feel
• Don’t give up easily
• Find the brighter side of situations
• Have supportive relationships
• Have a good sense of humor
• Flexible thinking
• They take action
• Understand that things are temporary
• View obstacles as challenges to be overcome
• Practice self-care
• Can handle constructive criticism
• Have clear boundaries in relationships

How to Build Resilience in Your Child

• Empower them to make decisions
• Allow them to learn through some failures
• Be authentic with your praise and be specific
• Don’t condemn them for mistakes
• Recognize their successes, even small ones
• Let them know you believe in them and love them unconditionally
• Highlight their strengths
• Give them realistic goals
• Create opportunities for success
• Address conflict openly
• Build a sense of safety and emotional security in your home
• Demonstrate how behaviors impact others
• Emphasize the importance of community
• Model positive coping strategies
• Build your relationship
• Remind them troubles are temporary