05/11/2020
•••Resiliency •••
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•Resiliency is such a buzzword these days. How do we actually help our kids grow into resilient adults?
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•Help them develop supportive relationships
Research has shown that in order to be resilient, children need at least one stable, committed relationship with a supportive adult. Relationships with adults are protective and help children feel loved and valued. These responsive and nurturing relationships help the brain develop as it should. This means children are able to learn the important coping skills that they need to be resilient. Without these relationships, the brain senses threat, and the stress response will remain activated, limiting a child’s ability to learn new skills. And don’t forget to nurture and encourage supportive, healthy, friendships with peers too. These help children learn important social and emotional skills and keep them feeling connected.
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•Teach them how to manage their emotions
This begins when they are very young – help them label their feelings so they can find the language to express how they feel. Validate their feelings so they learn that all emotions are important and need not be feared. Teach them appropriate ways to express how they feel and give them strategies to manage when they feel overwhelmed by strong emotions
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•Practice Mindfulness together
Mindfulness has been shown, time and again, to improve resilience in kids. Mindfulness causes changes to occur in the brain that strengthen the pre-frontal cortex. While it’s doing that, it’s also reducing activity in the amygdala. This allows the prefrontal cortex to regain control, calming the emotional brain. And when the emotional brain is calm, so is your child
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•Teach them to problem solve
Encourage them to think of all the possible solutions to a problem and then weigh up the pros and cons of each alternative until they come up with the best fit. Try to resist the urge to jump in with the answer – let them figure it out for themselves. And don’t forget to nurture and encourage their creativity – creative people tend to be effective problem solvers because they can think outside the box
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•Make sure they know how to ask for help
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