Mindful Monday Word-Resilience
To be resilient is to have the skills to get back up after something doesn’t go the way we wanted it to. Failure is truly part of our lives. It’s how we react and cope with a situation that proves our resilience. This is an uneasy feeling, to fail, but, it builds our confidence and our perseverance building better character in who we are, both young and old. If a child doesn’t have a firm foundation, they are more likely to stay ‘stuck’ and not persevere or have the confidence to try again. Without strong social skills resilience, they might become frustrated, act out, throw a tantrum, or even give up when things don’t go their way. Let’s try not to let that happen and teach them to be resilient, be confidence and to keep on trying!
The older that I get, I hate to say it, but, I look forward to failures because they help me to grow, to learn new things and to never get ‘stuck’ in life. We would like our own children to be resilient, it’s important for their own character, knowing that there are struggles which are building strength and creating new opportunities to grow and learn. As a parent, or guardian, we want our kids to be able to handle what life throws their way. Lord knows it’s not always easy or what we hope for, so, how do we bounce back stronger? Keep in mind that when a child learns to be resilient at a young age, they are more likely to handle ‘life’ and it’s struggles easier as an adult.
Character development starts at a young age, with various strategies. As an infant and toddler, your child will watch and listen for your reactions. They will begin to mimic you at an early age. It’s important to do the best you can and to make wise choices for this very reason. As your child grows, they will not only mimic your actions, they will use your language. Again, it’s vital to use kind words, be encouraging and know that they are wanting to be just like you some day. We will ALL make mistakes with our children, however, the more aware and intentional that we are in providing them a firm foundation to grow on will allow them to failure, but, to know that they have support and will and can get back up to try again. That’s being resilient. Print out a Do’er Duck certificate here to build perseverance and encourage them to never give up, to try again, and allow them to know that they can do it if they to their best!
Learn more about our nonprofit organization and how you can make a difference in the life of a child with Characters of Character here.
TELL me and I forget, TEACH me and I remember, INVOLVE me and I learn. Benjamin Franklin