What Can a Family Do to Help Children Develop Resiliency?
- Families can help children develop resiliency by providing stable caring, support and affection.
- Children need to develop a close bond with at least one person (not necessarily the mother or father) who provides them with stable care that fosters a sense of basic trust and from whom they receive adequate and appropriate attention. Ideally, these bonds should be established during infancy.
- Children also need the enduring, loving involvement of one or more adults in care and joint activity with the child.
- Children need to be reinforced with trust and positive relationships.
Families also foster resiliency when they demonstrate high expectations.
- High expectations mean that families expect success beginning in early childhood. Families have an attitude that enables them to see the potential for maturity, common sense, learning and well-being in their children.
- Parents respect the child’s autonomy and provide structure, discipline and clear rules that encourage the child’s independence.
- Faith or hope for the future through setting clear moral and spiritual values and realistic goals with the child
Families also foster the development of resiliency when they expect and provide opportunities for participation.
- This means that families provide lots of opportunities for the child to participate in and contribute to family life in meaningful ways.
- When parents give children responsibilities they communicate to the child that he/she is worthy and capable of being contributing members of the family. Big Ideas
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- Children face many risks and threats in today’s world including these risk factors:
- Poverty
- Drop out/no education
- Abuse
- Resilient children are able to “bounce back” and overcome adversity.
- These protective factors help children develop resiliency:
- Caring and support
- High expectations
- Opportunities for participation