Resilience is the ability to bounce back from difficulties, handle emotions, and adapt to new situations. Teaching young children resilience helps them build confidence, manage frustration, and face challenges with a positive mindset. Since life is full of ups and downs, fostering resilience from an early age prepares children to navigate obstacles with strength and determination.
In this article, we’ll explore practical ways to help children develop resilience through everyday experiences and supportive guidance.
1. Why Resilience Matters for Children
Helping children develop resilience allows them to:
✅ Manage emotions and stress – They learn to stay calm in tough situations.
✅ Solve problems independently – They gain confidence in handling challenges.
✅ Adapt to change – They become flexible when things don’t go as planned.
✅ Build self-confidence – They believe in their ability to overcome obstacles.
Children who develop resilience become stronger, happier, and more adaptable in all aspects of life.
2. Encourage a Growth Mindset
A growth mindset teaches children that effort and perseverance lead to success. Use phrases like:
✔️ “You’re still learning—keep trying!”
✔️ “Mistakes help us grow!”
✔️ “Look how much you improved with practice!”
Encouraging effort rather than just results teaches children that challenges are opportunities to grow.
3. Let Children Solve Small Problems on Their Own
Instead of immediately fixing problems for children, encourage them to think of solutions:
❓ “What can we do if your tower keeps falling?”
❓ “How can you calm down when you feel frustrated?”
❓ “What could you try differently next time?”
Giving children the space to experiment, fail, and try again builds confidence in their problem-solving abilities.
4. Teach Healthy Ways to Handle Frustration
Help children learn coping strategies for when they feel upset or overwhelmed:
🛑 Take a deep breath – “Breathe in slowly like smelling a flower, then breathe out.”
🎭 Use words instead of acting out – “Tell me how you feel instead of yelling.”
🖍 Draw or write emotions – “Let’s draw how you’re feeling right now.”
🏃 Move to release energy – “Let’s take a walk or stretch to feel better.”
Teaching children how to manage their emotions prepares them to handle future challenges calmly.
5. Normalize Mistakes and Failures
Children need to know that everyone makes mistakes and that failure is part of learning. Instead of saying:
❌ “You failed.”
✅ Say: “What did we learn from this?”
Share your own mistakes:
✔️ “I spilled my coffee, but that’s okay—I’ll clean it up.”
✔️ “I made a mistake at work, but I’ll try a different way next time.”
When children see mistakes as learning experiences, they become more willing to try new things.
6. Read Books About Resilience
Stories help children understand how characters face challenges and overcome them. Some great books include:
📖 The Most Magnificent Thing (Ashley Spires) – Teaches perseverance and problem-solving.
📖 Giraffes Can’t Dance (Giles Andreae) – Encourages confidence and resilience.
📖 After the Fall (Dan Santat) – Shows how Humpty Dumpty overcomes fear after falling.
After reading, ask:
❓ “What problem did the character face?”
❓ “How did they solve it?”
❓ “What would you have done in that situation?”
Books make resilience relatable and inspiring.
7. Encourage Trying New Things
Trying new activities helps children learn how to handle challenges. Encourage them to:
🎨 Try a new art project – Even if they don’t know how at first.
🚴 Learn to ride a bike – Show them that practice leads to improvement.
🎤 Sing or speak in front of family – Builds confidence in new experiences.
Each small success teaches children that they can overcome difficulties.
8. Allow Safe Failures and Challenges
Give children opportunities to experience small setbacks so they can learn to keep going:
🏗 Let them figure out how to fix a broken LEGO structure.
🏀 Encourage them to keep practicing if they miss a basketball shot.
🍪 Let them bake and learn from mistakes instead of fixing everything for them.
Experiencing safe challenges helps children develop persistence and problem-solving skills.
9. Be a Role Model for Resilience
Children learn from watching how adults handle challenges. Show them how you stay positive:
✔️ “I had a tough day, but I’ll try again tomorrow.”
✔️ “This is tricky, but I’ll keep practicing.”
✔️ “It’s okay if things don’t go as planned—we’ll figure it out.”
Your example teaches them how to handle setbacks with a positive attitude.
10. Praise Effort and Persistence
Recognizing hard work and determination helps children stay motivated:
🌟 “I love how you didn’t give up on that puzzle!”
🌟 “You kept trying even when it was hard—that’s amazing!”
🌟 “I’m so proud of you for handling that challenge calmly.”
Encouraging effort over results helps children see challenges as opportunities rather than obstacles.