Childhood Resilience

Resilience is something that needs to be built up in layers and over time.
Some children may have a better disposition/character that may make them gain resilience a little easier, for those that don't have such an 'easy' nature, they may need a little more help to gain the personal skills to help them build up their resilience.
Children who are helped to build up good resilience are able to cope with change much better for example, transitions, going up to school, becoming more independent in managing their own needs, They feel good within their own skin and feel more able to attempt things.
We can help children build their confidence and resilience by accepting them for whom they are, loving them and making them feel special and appreciated/important.
Helping them achieve success by not having too great an expectation of them and praising them. Helping them to see that failed attempts are normal for us all.
Question: Question 22
Answer: Children need the knowledge and the knowhow to help protect and safeguard themselves. It is important they learn these skills from adults who will care and protect them and teach them what is necessary in an age appropriate manner.
Strategies we will teach them include:
Stranger danger: Speaking to and reinforcing the dangers posed by some adults.
Personal safety: reinforcing how to behave with higher risk activities such as outdoor activities e.g. road safety green cross code or younger children always hold an adults hand when crossing the road.
Older children may include: substance abuse, the effects that they have on young people. Discussions or one-to-one conversations about sex and relationships (including sexually transmitted diseases).
It is important to always explain to them age/stage appropriately.
Reinforce what is allowed and what is not
allowed.
Question: Question 23
Answer: Empowering children is about giving them information that is reliable, respecting their views, recognising each child and young person is an individual, that they might be exposed to damaging ideas and negative experiences and that this might influence their behaviour and own ideas.
They can be empowered by knowing that they have a right to know about their rights
UNCRC. An explanation of ways of empowering young children and young people means seeing how settings can help them make positive and informed choices that support their well being and safety.
Everyone working with children needâ€TMs to support them to help them keep safe and help to support their own well being this can be achieved by:
Helping them to understand the boundaries they might come across. Reinforcing issues when they arise in a positive manner such as turn taking, no pushing, being patient, understanding some children take more time than others to complete tasks, everyone has their own individual ways of completing tasks. Letting them resolve their own conflicts whenever possible.
Promote positive relationships whether child to child, child to adult, adult to adult and adult to
child. Child led approach enables children/young people to risk assess for themselves as a part of their investigation and playing. Let them lead their own activity without guided instructions to let them see what needs to be done and how they can achieve this.
We all learn by taking risks so when a child wants to take a risk, be there to help them and support them, whether it be physically (e.g. supporting them whilst they go down the climbing frame backwards by being there ready to catch them if needed or adjust their positioning of legs or arms etc,) or verbally (encourage them that they can do it and how they can do it or explain age/stage appropriately why they canâ€TMt do it and offer them support in doing what they would like to achieve). Never let a child take a risk that could cause significant harm to themselves or others.