Just as babies develop and grow physically, they also build mental muscle for developing mental resilience to become mentally strong kids in the future.
As parents we often focus on a young child’s physical abilities, but give less attention to making children mentally strong. What we often overlook is that mentally strong kids navigate through the storms of life more easily. Isn’t that an ability we all want our children to have?
Keeping your little one healthy is obviously important, but teaching the right mental skills is also crucial in her development.
Paediatrician and mum based in Singapore, Dr. Sharon says, “Young mothers often come to us with queries about their child’s physical health. It’s quite rare that parents ask about making their children mentally strong. After all, what’s the point in being smart and strong without having enough endurance to stick through tough situations in life?”
Here’s What Parents Can Do to Nurture Mentally Strong Kids:
Experts suggest that through simple actions and approaches such as those outlined below, parents can help their kids build mental strength.
1. Encourage Realistic Thinking
Parents must help children to identify both their strengths as well as limitations. A realistic approach to understanding their personality will help them understand themselves better. This will help children to respond to both success and failure with balance.
Forgiveness is a good way of understanding reality better, especially if the situation was out of your child’s control. | Image Source: iStock
It is essential that parents help their children understand that the assumptions or conclusions they have made could be far from reality. At the same time, it is equally important that parents help them reach the truth. Mentally strong kids are well-grounded in reality.
2. Focus on Effort Instead of Achievement
Parents must encourage and praise their children whenever they make an effort. But instead, parents often hold back praise until they achieve something. Avoid focusing solely on achievement and appreciate the effort your child is making. (Let’s admit it, mums and dads, we may have to learn this lesson first before we can teach it to our children.)
Parents must help their children understand that achievement is not the ultimate goal in everything. When children understand the importance of making an effort, they don’t fear failure.
It doesn’t matter how many times your child falls down. What matters is that she gets the support that she needs and keeps on trying. | Image Source: iStock
A child who believes that achievement is everything may avoid trying if success is not guaranteed. Or he may even cheat to be successful at any cost.
Helping your child understand that you value his efforts will help him stick through tough situations in life later on. Mentally strong kids are the ones who make a positive effort and at the same time, accept results with grace and dignity.
3. Teach Them How to Manage Their Emotions
Help your child to understand how to regulate his own emotions. Parental interference will only worsen a bad situation and make children dependent on you.
But how do you teach your child to manage emotions? For starters, you can help your kid find his own coping skills – a way of dealing with big emotions. For example, some children may dance to calm down while others may like to play soccer.
Empathy allows you to teach your child to deal with those big emotions. When a child knows how to manage his emotions, it may lead to better decision-making in the future. | Image Source: iStock
At the same time, parents must also teach their kids to feel a complete range of emotions rather than suppressing them. It is crucial to allow and encourage them to face and handle even nasty, uncomfortable emotions.
Mums and dads, mentally strong kids will grow up to become competent adults. With your support of their mental strength, they will be able to face any challenge in life.
Reference: American Psychological Association