A couple of weeks ago, we visited my brother in-law and his wife in Arizona. It was a grand time for us, especially for the kids since we haven’t been on any vacation for the past two years. Since they had a pool in their backyard, the kids went swimming practically everyday for a week! We also had the chance to visit some of my husband’s relatives living nearby.
Everything but one incident was perfect. It happened on the second day when we went for a picnic at the Canyon Lake. My husband’s uncle brought his jet ski so the kids were so eager to try it out. When it’s our turn to ride, my daughter fell asleep when we were in the middle of the lake! So my husband decided to turn around and go back. As we were turning around, a wave flipped us over! We all fell! Good thing there were people on the motor boat who helped get the jet ski back to us and helped us climbed back. What worried me most was the effect the incident had on my daughter!
It was obviously a traumatic experience for her which prompted me to really keep an eye on her on the next couple of days. Fortunately, after a few hours of not wanting to get back to the water, she finally enjoyed playing in the pool again.
So how important is it for us to develop resilience among our children? How important is it to teach and hone coping skills for stress in children?
Building and developing that inner strength in our kids to be able to deal and cope up with life’s ups and downs while growing up is one of the best things we, as parents can do.
We need to show our children how much they’re appreciated. They need to feel that they can be successful at doing something. This helps them feel good about themselves and builds they’re self esteem.
They need to feel loved and to have a sense of belonging, knowing that you will always be there for them. This gives them the ability to trust others and form relationships with other people.
Improving a child’s confidence also develops his ability to manage things for himself. This can be done in a lot of ways like, valuing their input and opinions, helping them do things on their own, allowing them to make choices for themselves, encouraging them to try new things, and supporting their interests. This will enhance their self control and develop their ability to solve their own problem.
And finally, having family rituals like reading them bedtime stories every night before tucking them to bed, and watching movies together every Friday night, help them build a sense of inner security. These routines offer them stability in times of chaos and stress and when the family is experiencing hardships and trouble.
