Summary

Children exemplify resilience through their ability to adapt, embrace change, maintain confidence, seek help, and try new things without fear, offering valuable lessons for adults.

Abstract

The article "5 Powerful Things Kids Can Teach Us About Being Resilient" emphasizes that resilience is not an innate quality but a skill that can be learned, with children being exemplary teachers. It highlights that kids naturally cope with change, learn from mistakes, and bounce back from setbacks with a sense of playfulness and open-mindedness. Unlike adults, children fear failure less and are more willing to ask for help and try new things, which are key components of resilience. The article provides action plans for adults to adopt these child-like traits, such as practicing flexibility, reframing attitudes toward change, overcoming self-doubt, and embracing new experiences. By emulating the resilience of children, adults can navigate life's challenges more effectively.

Opinions

Children's resilience stems from their ability to roll with the punches and adapt to new situations without the fear of failure and rejection that often hampers adults.
Kids' confidence and lack of self-doubt allow them to attempt new tasks without the burden of worrying about others' perceptions, which is a powerful lesson in resilience for adults.
The willingness of children to ask for help is seen as a strength, not a weakness, and is encouraged as a strategy for overcoming challenges.
The article suggests that adults should challenge their self-doubt and embrace a child's fearless approach to trying new things to build their resilience.
By drawing on the resilience observed in children, adults can learn to cope with stress and setbacks more effectively, becoming more adaptable and resilient themselves.

5 Powerful Things Kids Can Teach Us About Being Resilient

Resilience is something you can learn, and kids are the best teachers.

Have you ever noticed how resilient kids are and wondered why you can’t be the same? Resiliency is a trait everyone needs for success and happiness. It’s what allows you to weather the storms and come out stronger on the other side.

When you have resiliency, you know that you can handle whatever life throws your way and come back from adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or stress from family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors.

Have you ever noticed that kids have the resilience adults lack? When faced with difficulties, children don’t dwell on the negative but instead focus on finding solutions.

This is a powerful lesson for adults, who often get bogged down in problems and could benefit from looking at things from a different perspective.

What makes kids so flexible and gives them the ability to bounce back, and what can we learn from it?

Children Roll with the Punches

Compared to adults, kids are better able to cope with change, adapt to new situations, learn from mistakes, and bounce back from setbacks.

One reason kids can do this is that they fear failure and rejection less than adults.

Kids are less afraid to try something new, even if they fail because it’s not going to define who they are if it doesn’t go in their favor. In contrast, adults worry about what others think about them if they don’t succeed.

Children also have a greater sense of playfulness which allows them to experiment with new ideas without worrying about how successful those experiments will be. They just want to give it a shot!

This can also translate into being more open-minded toward others’ perspectives and experiences.

Action plan:

Practice being flexible. Be prepared to change your plans as needed. Life rarely goes according to plan. Acknowledge that and be willing to shift if you need to. Also, push through. Don’t give up when things get tough.

Children Don’t Fear Change

Kids have an enviable ability to adapt to change and don’t fear it the way adults do. They more quickly adjust to new situations, whether it’s a move to a new city or starting a new school. When something goes wrong, they pick themselves up and carry on.

One reason is kids are less invested in their current way of doing things and are more open to new ideas and approaches. Adults, on the other hand, get set in their ways, and are resistant to change. They may be more stuck in their comfort zones and less willing to explore alternative courses of action.

Action plan:

Reframe how you look at change and shift your attitude toward it. See it as a challenge and embrace rather than fear it. Write down the positive aspects of impending changes in your life, so you can focus on those rather than the negative aspects.

Children Have Less Self-Doubt

Children have a confidence that is unparalleled. They are not as worried about what other people think of them and often don’t care if they fail or do something incorrectly.

Have you ever noticed how kids learn to walk? They take two steps forward and then fall on their faces. But then they pick themselves up again and keep trying until they’re able to walk independently.

Children are better able to bounce back from failure. They’re willing to keep learning and trying again, even if it doesn’t go perfectly at first (or at all).

Action plan:

Acknowledge your own self-doubts. Recognizing that you have self-doubt is the first step to overcoming it.
Identify the source of your self-doubt. Once you know where your self-doubt is coming from, you can start to address it.
Talk to someone you trust about your self-doubt. Getting support from others can help you start to overcome self-doubt.
Challenge your self-doubt. Once you know where your self-doubt comes from, start to challenge it. Talk back to yourself in a positive way when doubt enters your mind.

Children Aren’t Afraid to Ask for Help

As adults, we sometimes forget that it’s okay to ask for help. We may feel like it makes us look weak or incompetent, but there is no shame in admitting that you need assistance. Children are more likely than adults to take this approach.

As adults, we often feel like we should be able to handle everything on our own and others might perceive asking for help as a sign of weakness. However, children know that it is okay to not know everything and that it’s better to ask for help than to struggle! Learn from them.

Action plan:

Write down your challenges, along with people who may be able to help you solve that issue, or at least give you a second opinion.

Children Aren’t Afraid to Try New Things

Children are fearless. They are unafraid to try something new, even if it means getting a bit messy. No matter how many times they fall off their bike, a child won’t be afraid to get back on and keep riding.

Kids don’t worry about failure because they know it’s how you learn something new or master a skill. They may not succeed on the first try but will keep trying until they succeed!

And when children fail, they’re more likely to give it another shot. They know that failure is temporary, and you can keep working hard at something until you master it!

Action plan:

Make a list of things you’ve always wanted to try but were afraid to. Start slowly tackling that list. Give yourself time. Don’t try to do too much, too soon. Start with small steps and work your way up. This will help you to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Conclusion

If you want to be more resilient, learn from kids! You can learn from kids about how to deal with stress and setbacks. They can teach us to be more adaptable and resilient.

When you face challenges in your life, draw on your inner child and remember how to bounce back. Building resilience is not always easy, but it’s a skill you can learn. By increasing your resilience, you can better cope with whatever life throws your way.

References:

“What Can We Learn about Resilience from the Children….” 10 Jul. 2015, https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_can_we_learn_about_resilience_from_the_children_of_katrina.

“What kids can teach us about resilience | Resilience First.” 07 Jan. 2019, https://www.resiliencefirst.org/news/what-kids-can-teach-us-about-resilience.