How We Can Help Children Build Resilience Before School
As a parent, one of the things I hope for most is that my children grow up to be resilient.
Isn't that what most parents want? We want our children to be able to roll with the punches that school inevitably brings. We want them to have the confidence to try, even if they might make a mistake. We want them to be able to pick themselves up when things don't go the way they expected.
The good news is that resilience isn't something children are simply born with. It's something we, as parents and teachers, can help them develop over time.
It's something I think about a lot, both as a teacher and as a mum.
When one of my children is struggling with something, I try not to jump in straight away. Of course, every situation is different, but whenever it's appropriate, I like to pause and watch. What will they do? How will they react?
Those moments tell me so much. They show me where my child's resilience is right now and help me understand how I can best support them.
One of the biggest ways I help build resilience is through modelling. All. The. Time.
I model how I respond when I make a mistake. I model feeling frustrated when I can't do something the first time. I talk out loud about how I'm feeling and what I'm going to do next.
"I made a mistake, but that's okay. I'll try again."
"This is really tricky. I'm feeling frustrated, so I'm going to take a deep breath and keep practising."
Even when I'm not speaking directly to my children, they're listening. They're watching. They're learning how adults respond when things don't go to plan.
At home, and in every classroom I've taught, we've always had the same mantra:
Mistakes help us learn.
The more children hear this, and the more they see us live it, the more they begin to believe it. Mistakes become something normal rather than something to fear.
So, if I could leave you with two simple takeaways, they would be these:
Don't jump in too quickly. Give your child the opportunity to struggle a little, think, problem-solve and experience the discomfort of not knowing the answer straight away. Sometimes, that's where the greatest learning happens.
Model everything. Let your child see that adults get frustrated too. Show them that it's okay to feel disappointed, make mistakes and find something difficult. Then show them how you work through those feelings and keep going.
Building resilience doesn't happen overnight. It grows through everyday moments, small challenges and the example we set.
The next time your child becomes frustrated or wants to give up, see if you can pause before stepping in. Give them a chance to work through it, and if they need support, be there to guide them rather than rescue them. You might be surprised by what they're capable of.
At Let's Get Prepped, building resilience is just as important as developing early literacy and numeracy skills. Every session is designed to encourage children to have a go, learn from their mistakes and build the confidence to keep trying, even when something feels challenging. My goal is to help children start Prep not only with the foundational skills they need for learning, but with the confidence and resilience to embrace all the challenges and successes that school will bring.