Mentally Strong: 6 Strategies for Raising A Resilient Child
What do you think of when I refer to the words mentally strong? Some individuals will think that it means being able to suppress emotions. Others might say that being strong mentally means not caring.
On the contrary. An individual who is mentally strong is resilient and able to bounce back from disappointment. They are empathetic and realistic when it comes to setting expectations for themselves and for others.
Lastly these individuals are cognitively empathetic and able to read and understand other peoples emotions and choices based on emotion and ration.
So what does it take to raise a mentally strong kid?
Here are 6 strategies that you can implement and teach your children how to be mentally strong and to eventually become healthy-minded adults.
Helping kids develop mental strength requires a three-pronged approach: teaching them to replace negative thoughts with more realistic thoughts, helping them learn to control their emotions so their emotions don’t control them, and showing them how to take positive action.
1. Problem Solve With Them
Disciplining should be about giving direction and learning from mistakes so that you can do better next time. It should not involve shaming of any kind. The best way to problem solve with your child is to be patient with them.
Understand that they are beginners. Any time a person learns something for the first time, they will likely encounter a few set backs and make a few mistakes. Teach your child how to be mentally strong by problem solving. Ask them questions to help them think of the answer and guide them through learning different skills.
2. Teach Them How To Reframe Negative Self-Talk
As I mentioned in the introduction, shaming anyone never works. There is countless research which confirms that shame only adds to the continuity of the unwanted behavior.
Instead, teach your child how to change their negative thoughts into more realistic ones by reframing them as normal. Then you can problem solve with them. By doing this you are helping to grow your child’s resilience to failure in the future.
3. Allow Your Child To Feel Uncomfortable For Growth and To Become Mentally Strong
The journey to growth involves learning how to feel comfortable when you’re uncomfortable.
One example is allowing your child to experience boredom so that they have to find a way to entertain themselves. Or, let them fail and then figure out how to succeed from that failure.
Above all, allow for certain fears (within reason,) so that your child can lean towards those fears and develop the confidence needed for a mentally strong and healthy adulthood.
4. Teach Them How To Form Healthy Relationships
Modeling a healthy relationship among partners and spouses is the first step in teaching a child what a healthy relationship looks like. Help your children learn to be social by encouraging play dates and sleep overs.
5. Reinforce Values and Generosity During Every Day Activities.
Teaching your child how to say please and thank you, along with helping them to be grateful for what they have, will help them develop a mentally strong, optimistic and positive mindset.