What do we mean by “the resilient child”, anyway?
Mirriam-Webster defines resiliency as the ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change
Watch this video to learn more about what resiliency is, and why it is an important part of healthy childhood development.
“At home, in school and on the playground, all children experience disappointment, frustration and failure; criticism and disapproval; and exclusion by peers. In every family, there will be moments of anger and misunderstanding,” Dr. Kenneth Barish points out in a PBS blog.
In healthy development, children recover from these moments…most children bounce back. Just as our cells must repair physical injuries, emotional injuries also must be healed. Without this healing, the injurious process will spread.
As parents, it is important for us to recognize these common injuries and provide some healing of a child’s discouragement and anger. Often, a simple acknowledgment of her disappointment or frustration is all that is necessary.
Children learn invaluable lessons from moments of repair. They learn that, although it is not always easy, moments of anxiety, sadness and anger are moments and can be repaired. Disappointments, in themselves and in others, are part of life, and feelings of anger and unfairness do not last forever.”
