Raising a child to be resilient to bad influences is an important task for parents and caregivers. Here are some tips to help you promote resilience in your child:
Foster a strong emotional bond: Developing a close relationship with your child can help them feel secure and supported, which can promote resilience. Spend quality time with your child and make sure they know that they can come to you with any problems or concerns.
Encourage problem-solving skills: Teach your child to think critically and come up with solutions to problems on their own. This can help them feel empowered and better able to handle difficult situations.
Teach coping skills: Help your child develop healthy coping mechanisms for dealing with stress and difficult emotions. Encourage activities such as exercise, meditation, or talking with a trusted friend or family member.
Set clear boundaries: Establishing clear rules and expectations can help your child understand what behaviors are acceptable and what consequences may result from breaking those rules.
Foster a sense of community: Encourage your child to get involved in activities that foster a sense of community, such as sports teams or community service projects. This can help them feel a sense of belonging and connection to others, which can promote resilience.
Model resilience: Children often learn by example, so it’s important to model resilience in your own life. Show your child how to handle difficult situations in a positive and productive way.
By implementing these tips, you can help your child develop the resilience they need to navigate the challenges and bad influences they may encounter in their lives.
Effective strategies for adolescence and early adulthood (13 to 19)
Strong social support networks.
The presence of a least one unconditionally supportive parent or parent substitute.
A committed mentor or other person from outside the family.
Positive school experiences.
A sense of mastery and a belief one’s own efforts can make a difference.
Participation in a range of extra-curricular activities.
The capacity to re-frame adversities so that the beneficial as well as the damaging effects are recognised.
The ability – or opportunity – to ‘make a difference’ by helping others or through part-time work.
Not to be excessively sheltered from challenging situations that provide opportunities to develop coping skills.
Tony Newman, Barnados
Catching it early
If a child does start to give indications of thinking about a ‘non-binary’ identity, then it is possible to prevent such thoughts from developing further:
- Do not ‘socially affirm’ (e.g. new name, inappropriate ‘pronouns’).
- Be curious as to their feelings.
- Foster a strong emotional bond
- Encourage problem-solving / critical-thinking skills
- Teach coping skills
- Have clear boundaries
- Be prepared to remove toxic influences
- Encourage real-world social participation
- Model resilience
- Keep conversations ‘adult’.