R is for RESILIENT.
“Kids are resilient.” If I had a dollar for every time I heard that in the past two years, I would be rich. But, are kids really resilient?
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines resilient as, “ tending to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.” Kids are not automatically resilient. Like so many other things, resilience needs to be taught and modeled. You are unable to recover from a misfortune or change if you do not have the coping skills to do so. Some children are able to quickly adapt more easily than others and that can be due to a variety of factors. However, not all children are resilient, but all children can benefit from practice in building their “resiliency muscle.”
As adults we can help children recognize, name and manage their emotions. We can also help children become more aware of peers as we develop empathy and an understand of others feelings. Finally, we can help children learn to be PROBLEM SOLVERS. As a teacher, this is my favorite. We have the opportunity to help children learn how to solve problems which is a life skill they will use forever.
Click here for a list of children’s books to support resilience.
Christina Dankert 