International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8, honours the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women worldwide. This day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. The theme for 2024 is ‘Invest in women: Accelerate progress.’ In recognition of this important occasion, Brainfeed will be highlighting diverse perspectives and insights from women leaders in education.
In this context, we are pleased to present an article below by Dr. Sitara Vikram, Co-founder & Executive Director of CS Academy schools, Erode & Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Resilience helps us to recover and bounce back from setbacks and adversity. It is a set of abilities, capacities and skills that help in the management of difficult times. It is all about thriving and not just surviving. Some children develop resilience while growing up and others do not. It is not a sign of weakness on the part of our children, nor a sign of poor parenting when children are not resilient. Understanding why some children are more resilient despite early adverse experiences can help children develop strength to recover from setbacks.
What helps resilience to develop?
The single most important factor to develop resilience is at least one stable relationship with a parent or caregiver. Secure attachments increase the capacity to regulate behaviour. The childhood experiences of positive role models, supportive caregivers and adaptive skill building lay the foundation of resilience. Children who have resilience have both biological and environmental factors that enable them to overcome threats and cope with adversity.
Can we build or strengthen resilience?
- Facilitation of supportive adult–child relationship: Whenever your child does seem to be troubled, the first step is always to reinforce that you are there to be fully supportive. Listen, be a sounding board, tap into their inner wisdom and certainly give hugs or do whatever you can to ensure that their most important source of security remains constant.
- Mobilize help/faith: Sometimes your child may need professional help or outside counsel. Seeking help is an act of strength. Children need to learn to seek help and take the steps to feel better.
- Strengthen planning and adaptive skills: We can help our children strengthen their executive functioning and planning skills which will increase their preparedness to deal with issues.
- Promote healthy fitness: Regular physical exercise and stress reduction activities help children to cope better.
- Role modelling: How we demonstrate resilience and coping with adversity makes a significant impact in improving resilience.
- Allow disappointments, and say an empathetic ‘No’ when needed. Children who are taught safe limits and freedom within boundaries make better choices and are more resilient.
Focusing on four core components—connection, wellness, healthy thinking and meaning; can improve the abilities of children and adults to cope with adversity in their lives. Adults who strengthen these skills in themselves can better model healthy behaviours for their children, thereby improving the resilience of the next generation!
