Parenting - Raising Resilient Children
What can we do as parents to ensure that our children have the best possible start in their lives, and to best prepare them for the whole range of life experiences that they will encounter as they grow up? In this chapter, it is my wish to share with you some of what I have learned and experienced, both professionally and personally, about one of the most challenging and rewarding of adult life experiences – raising our children. All parents begin the adventure of parenting wanting the very best for their children. Ideally, we try to create the best physical and emotional environment possible for our children, one that allows our children to grow physically strong, and emotionally resilient. A resilient child is strong on the inside. If a child is strong on the inside, then that child will be much more able to withstand and bounce back from the many ups and downs that life inevitably brings. Teachers, neighbors, coaches, and friends’ parents can all play important roles somewhere along the way in supporting the growth and development of a child’s emotional strength. If, as parents, we find that we are too often too angry, too sad, too confused, or too uncertain in our interactions with our children, then we might wisely consider speaking to a psychologist or counsellor about these experiences. A family therapist or counsellor can also be a tremendous source of guidance and assistance in learning how to deal with our children differently, more effectively, with less emotional upheaval and uncertainty
