How resilience is developed in children

Resilience, or psychological stabilityis key to the ability to overcome difficulties and achieve goals even in difficult circumstances. This quality is formed and changes depending on life situations and time. It is based on two main aspects: the presence of a serious challenge and the ability to overcome it.

To understand how to resilience (resilience) is formed in children, imagine a scale: on one scale there is protection and useful experience, on the other - difficulties and negative factors. Resilience emerges when, despite all the problems, the positive scale outweighs. In order to learn how to better support children in difficult circumstances, we need to understand what helps to tip the scales in favour of health and development.

Most often, children successfully overcome challenges of any kind if they are supported by at least one stable, caring adult. Such relationships become a key element in building resilience: individual support, assistance and protection can mitigate the negative impact on a child's development.

Supportive interaction with an adult helps children develop important skills such as the ability to plan, monitor and regulate behaviour and adapt to changing circumstances. This enables children to better cope with difficulties when they arise. Supporting children can include, for example, creating a stable daily routine that provides a sense of security and predictability.

Resilience arises from the interaction of a child's internal characteristics and external experiences. Children who overcome great difficulties usually have a natural resilience to stress and support from close adults in their family or community. This combination of biology and environment helps them to solve problems and overcome threats to healthy development.

It is worth noting that for children experiencing prolonged stress, neither individual characteristics nor the social environment alone can ensure a positive outcome.

Not all stress is harmful. There are many opportunities in a child's life to experience "positive stress" that, with the support of adults, can help them develop. For example, performing for the first time at a school function or solving a difficult problem in a game can be a source of positive stress that builds self-confidence. However, some children react more strongly to any event, both good and bad. They are more vulnerable in stressful situations, but are able to adapt better in an environment where there is warmth and support.

During childhood, the brain and body are most receptive to change, and this period forms the basis for many resilient behaviours. Resilience develops throughout life through the accumulation of experiences, both positive and negative. Over time, both the body and the brain learn to perceive these challenges as manageable, and this strengthens the child's ability to overcome difficulties. But if problems become overwhelming and there is no support from loved ones, stress can become toxic and lead to negative consequences.

Physical activity, such as regular walks or team games, helps to strengthen the nervous system and improve emotional well-being. Stress reduction techniques, such as breathing exercises, meditation or mindfulness practices, can help reduce anxiety and improve concentration. Self-control programmes, such as daily planning exercises or time management practices, and executive function training, such as memory or attention games, help children and adults to better cope with and adapt to challenges.

The community and family can strengthen a child's resilience in a variety of areas by creating trusting relationships and support between adults and children. Creating a quality environment for effective learning also gives children a sense of confidence and control. Help children develop skills, for example, by offering them small challenges such as learning a new song or solving a problem.

The material was prepared within the framework of the All-Ukrainian programme "Are you okay?"initiated by First Lady Olena Zelenska.