Tips for Building An Independent and Resilient Child

Learning independence and resilience is an essential part of youth development. It also serves as an important part of the experience at Valley Trails Summer Camp. But outside of school and camp, what can you do to instill independence and resilience in your child at an early age? Here are some tips on how you can build an independent and resilient child.

Encourage your Child to Take Healthy Risks

Allow your child to make mistakes as a way of learning to be independent. If you see a child doing something that you know will not go the way they expect, but there is no significant risk of harm, you need to resist the temptation to intervene. Letting your child face the challenge and even attempt to solve it independently will help them discover the thought process that goes into making the right decisions, especially in challenging situations.

Ask Questions to Encourage Critical Thinking

When your child comes to you with a problem, you should avoid the temptation to answer without engaging them in the process of finding an answer. Instead, you should ask questions actively to ensure that the solution you will provide comes from what the child already knows. This will help your child to learn to think rationally and independently and grow up believing that they have what it takes to overcome any challenges that life might throw at them.

Let Your Child Learn the Value of Effort

When your child achieves something great, you may be tempted to praise their talent and fail to say something about the work or effort that went into that accomplishment. Unfortunately, this can send the wrong message and make your child think they must be talented and successful in everything for them to be valued. It can also make your child dread failure, feel inadequate, and consequently become less resilient. Therefore, you need to praise your child when they make an effort to do their best even if they don't get their desired results.

Promote Optimism

One cannot be resilient without being optimistic. Therefore, you need to instill optimism and positive thinking in your child if you want them to be resilient. The best way to do this is by leading by example. Your child will learn to be optimistic if you remain optimistic and maintain a positive attitude even when you are facing challenges. In a nutshell, parents have a crucial role in making their children independent and resilient individuals. If you do not know what you need to do to this end, you can seek parenting advice from a reliable youth development expert.