Blue Valley Schools
Resiliency
Many of us have a strong grasp of what resiliency looks like. It is sometimes called "bouncing back" or the lesson to "pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again." It's the concept that allows children to learn how to write their names, ride a bike or pass a driver's test. None of these things are easy the first time we try them, but our ability to be resilient and persevere is the trait that carries us through. It may not be difficult to understand resiliency as a concept, but how do we teach our children how to get back up after life has knocked them down?
Why Bother?
Some children face common stressors such as divorce or illness. Others experience catastrophes, including disease, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, poverty, etc. Whether such experiences crush or strengthen a child depends, in part, on their resilience.
Resilience is the human capacity to face, overcome and be strengthened or even transformed by life's adversities. Everyone faces adversities; no one is exempt. With resilience, children can triumph over trauma. Without it, trauma triumphs. Along with food and shelter, children need love and trust, hope and autonomy.
Important terms:
- Resiliency: The universal capacity that allows a person to prevent, minimize or overcome the damaging effects of adversity.
- Optimism: A stable belief that one will generally experience good outcomes in life; believing things will work out for the best.
- Perceived competence: The expectation that we can effectively interact with our environment — believing we know what to do and can do what it takes to be successful.
Both optimism and perceived competence are related to well-being, better coping with stress and more effective self-regulation, which in turn lead to greater resilience.