COUNSELLOR'S CORNER
Building Resilience = equals reduced stress
Resilience is the ability to deal with and bounce back from situations in life that cause us stress. Each of us will experience and deal with stressful situations in different ways and there will be times when we are not resilient. In everyday life we may face many different events than can lead to us feeling overwhelmed; change in routine, new friends, learning, sickness, change in home life can all impact us in different ways. All of us have the ability to develop resilience and employ the coping skills needed to deal with these events.
Children display resilience by being able to age appropriately manage their emotions and express their feelings. They look for solutions to problem, use positive self talk, ask for help when required, and adapt to change. A child who is not coping may shy away from talking about emotions, have outburst or pretend that everything is ok when its not. They may stop interacting with others and give up when they find things difficult. They may engage in negative self talk and lack confidence in themselves.
Remember it is important that children can learn to develop resilience and in doing so can move through life with the ability to take on challenges. We developed resilience through learning social and emotional skills. One of the keys ways children develop these skills is by watching how the adults in their lives handle situations. Modelling behaviour that displays positive ways in managing emotions, making good choice, resolving challenges and healthy interactions with friends and family help children learn these skills. Giving your child a safe space to talk about what is happening for them also allows your child the opportunity to explore healthy ways to work through events in every day life. It can also be helpful to reflect on experiences that your child has gone through, showing them that things can work out and highlight learning that has come from it. Building resilience is a skill for life that can help reduce the stress your child feels when facing challenges.
Rita will be attending the next Parent Connect Meeting 13 March, come and have a coffee and meet our School Counsellor, feel free to ask any question or just have a chat
Rita Maher
School Counsellor
CatholicCARE Wollongong
35a Cordeaux St, Campbelltown 2560
Phone: 02 4628 0044
Rita.Maher@catholiccare.dow.org.au
