Nurturing Resilience in Children: The Power of Embracing Mistakes, Change, and Self-Esteem
Children nowadays are held to unusual standards, especially when it comes to their academic performance. There is very little tolerance for mistake in the climate that has been created by the demand to do well, to be flawless, and to accomplish consistently. But we really need to redefine this way of thinking. Rather than instilling a fear of making errors, we want to help kids accept them as essential components of the learning process. We must constantly remind our kids and ourselves that mistakes are chances to learn and grow.
Thinking back on our errors frequently results in life-changing lessons. Children have a more resilient mentality when they are allowed to make errors and are made to realize that this is an inevitable part of learning. Children who see mistakes as normal are more inclined to attempt new things, take chances, and push their boundaries. They discover that disappointments and setbacks are fleeting and that they can get back up and try again.
A key component of building children’s resilience is encouraging them to try new activities. Children learn to adapt and overcome obstacles when they are exposed to new experiences, such as taking up a musical instrument, playing a team sport, or engaging in artistic pursuits.
Children who try new things learn that failure is not a permanent setback but rather a chance for improvement, which helps them to solve problems, gain confidence, and adopt a growth mindset. Children gain a sense of self-efficacy through trying out new activities because they see that they can overcome challenges and pick up new skills.
In the end, we teach kids the resilience, adaptability, and willingness to embrace the unknown necessary to face life’s challenges by pushing them into uncharted territory.
Encouraging kids to talk about their feelings is a great way to help them become more resilient. Children who are allowed to express their emotions in a secure and encouraging setting are better able to comprehend the emotional experiences they have. Children learn to identify and categorise their emotions through candid discussion, which is a crucial first step towards developing healthy coping mechanisms. Children who talk about their feelings are better able to form stronger social bonds and ask for help when they need it.
Children learn that they are not alone and that others may have experienced similar difficulties when they are encouraged to talk about their struggles, fears, and anxieties. This increases their feeling of empathy and community, which fortifies their resilience.
Developing resilience in children requires them to accept change from an early age. Change is a necessary part of life, even though it can sometimes feel unsettling and frightening. Children learn to adapt and flourish in a variety of circumstances when they are taught to embrace it rather than fear it.
Children can learn to manage transitions with resilience if they are encouraged to view change as a chance for personal growth. Flexibility, open-mindedness, and the capacity to adapt to changing circumstances are made possible by accepting change. It gives kids the tools they need to deal with uncertainty and welcome new experiences, whether they’re moving to a new school, getting used to a new environment, or running into unforeseen difficulties.
We think that one of the main reasons our students succeed in a variety of spheres of life is the resilience skills we instill in them. Through accepting mistakes, promoting experimentation, having candid conversations about feelings, and instilling self-worth, we provide our kids the skills they need to meet obstacles head-on with flexibility, resilience, and unwavering faith in their own abilities.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. Με τη χρηματοδότηση της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης. Οι απόψεις και οι γνώμες που διατυπώνονται εκφράζουν αποκλειστικά τις απόψεις των συντακτών και δεν αντιπροσωπεύουν κατ'ανάγκη τις απόψεις της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης ή του Ευρωπαϊκού Εκτελεστικού Οργανισμού Εκπαίδευσης και Πολιτισμού (EACEA). Η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση και ο EACEA δεν μπορούν να θεωρηθούν υπεύθυνοι για τις εκφραζόμενες απόψεις. Финансирано от Европейския съюз. Изразените възгледи и мнения обаче принадлежат изцяло на техния(ите) автор(и) и не отразяват непременно възгледите и мненията на Европейския съюз или на Европейската изпълнителна агенция за образование и култура (EACEA). За тях не носи отговорност нито Европейският съюз, нито EACEA. Financováno Evropskou unií. Názory vyjádřené jsou názory autora a neodráží nutně oficiální stanovisko Evropské unie či Evroské výkonné agentury pro vzdělávání a kulturu (EACEA). Evropská unie ani EACEA za vyjádřené názory nenese odpovědnost. Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie. De hier geuite ideeën en meningen komen echter uitsluitend voor rekening van de auteur(s) en geven niet noodzakelijkerwijs die van de Europese Unie of het Europese Uitvoerende Agentschap onderwijs en cultuur (EACEA) weer. Noch de Europese Unie, noch het EACEA kan ervoor aansprakelijk worden gesteld. Financirano sredstvima Europske unije. Izneseni stavovi i mišljenja su stavovi i mišljenja autora i ne moraju se podudarati sa stavovima i mišljenjima Europske unije ili Europske izvršne agencije za obrazovanje i kulturu (EACEA). Ni Europska unija ni EACEA ne mogu se smatrati odgovornima za njih. Financé par l’Union européenne. Les points de vue et avis exprimés n’engagent toutefois que leur(s) auteur(s) et ne reflètent pas nécessairement ceux de l’Union européenne ou de l’Agence exécutive européenne pour l’éducation et la culture (EACEA). Ni l’Union européenne ni l’EACEA ne sauraient en être tenues pour responsables. Von der Europäischen Union finanziert. Die geäußerten Ansichten und Meinungen entsprechen jedoch ausschließlich denen des Autors bzw. der Autoren und spiegeln nicht zwingend die der Europäischen Union oder der Europäischen Exekutivagentur für Bildung und Kultur (EACEA) wider. Weder die Europäische Union noch die EACEA können dafür verantwortlich gemacht werden. Financiado pela União Europeia. Os pontos de vista e as opiniões expressas são as do(s) autor(es) e não refletem necessariamente a posição da União Europeia ou da Agência de Execução Europeia da Educação e da Cultura (EACEA). Nem a União Europeia nem a EACEA podem ser tidos como responsáveis por essas opiniões. Financiado por la Unión Europea. Las opiniones y puntos de vista expresados solo comprometen a su(s) autor(es) y no reflejan necesariamente los de la Unión Europea o los de la Agencia Ejecutiva Europea de Educación y Cultura (EACEA). Ni la Unión Europea ni la EACEA pueden ser considerados responsables de ellos. Finanziato dall'Unione europea. Le opinioni espresse appartengono, tuttavia, al solo o ai soli autori e non riflettono necessariamente le opinioni dell'Unione europea o dell’Agenzia esecutiva europea per l’istruzione e la cultura (EACEA). Né l'Unione europea né l'EACEA possono esserne ritenute responsabili.
Financirano s strani Evropske unije. Izražena stališča in mnenja so zgolj stališča in mnenja avtorja(-ev) in ni nujno, da odražajo stališča in mnenja Evropske unije ali Evropske izvajalske agencije za izobraževanje in kulturo (EACEA). Zanje ne moreta biti odgovorna niti Evropska unija niti EACEA.
Project Number: 2022-1-DE04-KA220-YOU-000085433