For the past two weeks, along with celebrating “Holidays Around the World”, we continued to focus on the topics of Self-Compassion and Resilience by adding a few new books to our bookshelves. Again, this is the perfect time for both of these topics as the holidays can add some unneeded worry, stress, and anxiety. Some of the books the children have been listening to are, “Little Monkey Calms Down”, “Moody Cow Learns Compassion” and “Listening with My Heart”.
We encourage you to add these amazing books to your shelves at home! Also, some things that you can do at home to build resilience in children, especially around the holidays!
- Encourage your child to try new things, even if you think it may be “too hard”.
- Encourage your child to serve others.
- Encourage your child to give old toys and clothes to charity.
- Encourage them to help others younger than they are.
- Introduce new experiences, which will help them to step outside of their comfort zone.
Lastly, here are five ways to help build resilience in children with adult support and modeling.
- Be a Supportive Role Model
- Model resilient behaviors. Be calm and consistent. Admit your own mistakes and talk about how you’ll get better next time.
- Let Them Make Mistakes
- Let them see the consequences of their actions. They will learn how to bounce back from their mistakes and do better next time.
- Praise The Right Way
- Give “process praise” by focusing on strategies, progress, or effort “I can tell you’ve been working hard.”
- Teach to Manage Emotions
- Teach that all emotions are okay. Deal with bad behaviors to set limits. Brainstorm ways to fix the problem and prevent it in the future.
- Teach to Problem Solve
- Don’t rush to solve problems for them or tell them the solution. Brainstorm solutions to address the challenge. Discuss potential consequences of each solution.
“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.”
–Louisa May Alcott
Be sure to check back next week for more information about Self-Compassion and Resilience during our last week of December!
From our family to yours, we wish you a very Happy and Safe Holiday!
