Is it Possible to Help My Child Be More Resilient as We Exit the Pandemic?

Dear Dr. Renee,
Is it possible to help my child be more resilient as we exit the pandemic?  Is this a born-in thing that some people have and others don’t?
-J.A.

Dear J,

I am so glad you asked!   As we exit the pandemic, I am working with a number of parents to help their children become more resilient as we head into our new reality.

The short answer is YES – you can help your child.  We are all born with some resilience.  Similar to most skills, if we don’t exercise or use them, they get a bit rusty.  The longer answer is how exactly to do this, which I can’t completely fit here.

What I can tell you is that any time your child faces a challenge from here on out,
you can help them strengthen their resiliency skills. 

Help them look at each challenge as just that – a challenge to overcome.  View the challenge as a temporary inconvenience, even if it is a really tough one (being locked down and living through a pandemic!).  Focus on what you can do to get through it, not what you can not do.  Have your child focus on the outcome they want and help them brainstorm how to get there.

It is important to let your child take action and not to jump in and solve all of his or her problems.  Not solving their children’s problems is hard for many parents.  We do not want to see our children suffer.  However, they need to be able to face and tackle the challenges in their life. This is how they learn, develop confidence and ultimately, succeed in life.

You, of course, are welcome to offer encouragement along the way.

If you are looking for more, sign up for my ‘almost’ Weekly Parenting Tips or contact me for more detailed information. You can sign up for a time on my calendar by clicking HERE.

-Dr Renee

Here are other blog posts you may find interesting:
How To Stay Calm When Your Child Is Not …
Why Is My Sweet Child Acting This Way?
What If She Doesn’t Know How to Make Friends?