Building Resiliency: Helping Children Learn to Weather Tough Times
Adversity is a natural part of life. At some point, we all face difficulties, such as family problems, serious illness, a personal crisis, or a painful loss. Being resilient is important to dealing with adversities like these. While most parents hope that their children never face extreme adversity, successfully facing tough situations can actually foster growth and give children the skills to be more resilient in the future.
Most people have a natural tendency to adapt and bounce back from adversity. However, parents can help their children learn to face challenges successfully, whether it is the stresses of everyday life, such as academic difficulties or problems with friends, or severe adversity, such as losing a home and being displaced from normal routines for months. Following are five ways to promote resiliency in your children and help protect them from long-term ill affects of difficult experiences.
Protecting our children against all of life’s unexpected painful events is not possible. Giving them a sense of competency and the skills to face adverse circumstances can be a valuable legacy of all parents. Resiliency can be built by understanding these important foundations. The more we practice these approaches; the better able our children will be to weather whatever life brings.
Adapted from: “Resiliency: Strategies for Parents and Educators,” Virginia Smith Harvey, Helping Children at Home and School II: Handouts for Families and Educators, NASP, 2004
Ø Contact Cares Crisis Line: (408) 850-6125
Ø Santa Clara County Mobile Crisis Intervention 24/7 Hotline: (408) 294-0579
Ø 24-7 Line for Youth: (888) 247-7717 Youth may call anytime for any reason.
Ø The Centre for Living with Dying Telephone: (408) 243-0222
Ø Crisis/Stress Hotline (855) 278-4204
Ø Suicide Prevention and Crisis: 1-855-278-4204 Available 24 hours /7 days
Ø Alum Rock Counseling: 408.294.0579 Available 24 hours/ 7 days
Ø Child Protective Services: 408-299-2071 Available 24 hours/7 days
Ø EMQ Family’s First Crisis Hotline 408-379-3796 http://www..org