
It is important to acknowledge that resilience is a dynamic quality that can be developed and strengthened over time. This is something you will support your child to start developing during their childhood, and they will continue to develop and strengthen this throughout their entire life.
Building resilience involves developing coping skills, fostering a positive mindset, seeking social support, and learning from adversity. When building resilience is actively pursued, it can mitigate the potential negative impacts associated with its absence, such as impaired decision-making, negative self-perception, limited adaptability, isolation and withdrawal, increased stress levels, health consequences, and strained relationships.
What if resilience is not developed?
When resilience is not developed, this can negatively impact the overall quality of life and have a pervasive effect across various aspects of daily functioning.
Without the ability to navigate adversity and bounce back from challenges, this may lead to a feeling of overwhelm due to heightened stress, which may lead to increased anxiety and potential mental health vulnerabilities.
Why is this important?
Developing your child’s resilience is important to aid in mitigating some of the negative effects of challenging experiences and stress. Negative effects may include; anxiety, depression, trouble concentrating, sleep issues, head or stomach pain, changing eating habits, aggressive behaviour, and regressions such as bed-wetting.
The more resilient your child is, and the better equipped they are to manage negative emotions, the better they will also be at avoiding dangerous quick fixes. Relying on quick fixes, such as numbing with digital distractions or impulsive decisions, can dangerously sidestep the root causes of negative emotions and hinder long-term emotional growth and resilience.
More broadly, research studies over the last 25 or so years have increasingly shown that challenges faced at different developmental stages throughout life influence how someone will relate to the world and others around them, how they manage stress in their life, and a general sense of who they are.
What are the fundamental building blocks of resilience in children?
Robbie Gilligan, Co-Director of the Children’s Centre at the University of Dublin, identified the three fundamental building blocks of resilience in children as; a sense of security/secure base, good self-esteem, and appropriate self-efficacy/self-directedness. The interactions your child has with your family, the community around them, and society, will greatly influence these core building blocks.
One of the fundamental building blocks, good self-esteem, is defined as when someone has confidence in themselves and their abilities. Whilst everyone lacks confidence occasionally, people with low self-esteem feel unhappy or unsatisfied with themselves most of the time, thus increasing their risk profile for depression and/or anxiety.
When lacking in confidence, children may consistently feel afraid about making mistakes, and feel incompetent, inadequate, or unloved. This will affect a child’s willingness to try new things (for fear of failure), reduce/eliminate their self-motivation, reduce their intellectual curiosity, and overall reduce their creativity and innovative thinking.
The development of resilience in your child will also strengthen their positive mental health and help offset factors that increase the risk of mental health conditions, such as being bullied or a feeling of low mood. Resilience is a protective factor against mental health vulnerabilities and difficulties, and a risk factor for many clinical conditions.
Conclusion
The fundamental building blocks of resilience in children are rooted in strong, supportive relationships, a sense of self-efficacy, and effective coping skills. Secure, nurturing connections with caregivers and significant adults provide a stable foundation, giving children a sense of safety and belonging.
Developing self-efficacy, or the belief in their own ability to influence outcomes, equips children with the confidence to face and overcome challenges. Additionally, effective coping skills, including problem-solving and emotional regulation, enable children to manage stress and setbacks constructively.
Together, these elements create a robust framework that supports children in building resilience, allowing them to navigate difficulties with greater strength and adaptability.
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