THE IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING RESILIENCE IN OUR KIDS & TEENAGERS

We want our kids to be happy, successful, healthy and safe - this is a natural wish for every parent. But the reality is ‘there are no guarantees - except for those we wish were not there’.
Despite our hopes, prayers, and best endeavours the only guarantees we have are;
no matter what we do, our children will experience pain and loss, they will be disappointed in life, they will make mistakes, they will be let down, they will get sick, they will miss out, they will be lied to, they will get sad………

Even though we want to give our children a life without hardship, we know it is impossible. What we can do though, is make them resilient, teach them how to deal with life's ups and downs. We do our kids no favours making their lives too easy - we cannot protect them from ‘life’ and the many challenges they will face growing up.

By making our kids resilient we can tilt the balance in our child’s favour. We have to teach them to take responsibility for their actions, teach them the importance of sticking up for their values, show by example how to cope with the many difficult situations we all face on a daily basis. Show them you believe in them and support them, even if you may not agree with their choices all the time. Our children are not ‘us’, they are a separate identity, with original thoughts and ideas. A person with their own dreams and goals to achieve, this can be very hard for some parents to accept. Try not making the mistake of wanting your children to live your dreams, allow them to find their own so they can make their own mark in life - this is the true road to happiness and success. I see so many teenagers and young adults trying to ‘please’ their parents but at a very big cost - allow them to find their own way in life, support them, trust them and believe in them and you will not go wrong.

Parenting is the hardest, most frustrating, infuriating, emotional job in the world but can also be be the most rewarding, wonderful and heartfelt job too, that gives our life extra meaning and purpose.

“Behind every young child who believes in himself is a parent who believed first.”