<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1Qt2kG_0vkz7P3a00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1Qt2kG_0vkz7P3a00" width="1528" height="800" ><p>Times of transition, such as children returning back to school, can often bring a wave of new challenges and emotions—both positive and negative. Students and families must adjust to their new routines and responsibilities, which can include meeting new peers, doing homework, juggling extracurricular activities, or adjusting bedtimes or mealtimes. Tackling these hurdles while trying to establish healthy habits that promote well-being can be demanding. While recent CDC data highlights improvement in children’s mental health, 40 percent of students are still reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. It is important to remember that during these transitional periods, families can employ resilience-building strategies to overcome adversity. To help navigate this time of change, families need resources to support their children academically and emotionally, both in and outside of school. Below, I offer four tips to help families during these transitional back-to-school moments.</p><h2>Honor Your Child’s Curiosity</h2><p>The beginning of an academic year often brings new classmates, classrooms, and teachers, which can present a fresh set of challenges and opportunities for students. To help children tune into new environments and employ resilience-building strategies, it is crucial that families take the time to explore these beginnings together through open conversations. During these moments of dialogue, encourage children to ask questions and to practice curious thinking. No question is too small or too big. By honoring a child’s questions through positive attention and offering thoughtful responses in return, we can increase their capacity to rely on critical thinking skills in the face of obstacles. Additionally, using books and stories can offer helpful insights and act as guideposts. According to the Scholastic Kids &amp; Family Reading Report Family Guide, 36 percent of parents use children’s books to help their child get ready for a new experience or event. Through introducing relatable characters and plotlines that contain school-related themes or concepts, we can offer students kindred references to draw upon when they need insight, as well as critical mental and emotional support as they embark on a new year.</p><h2>Learn About Your School’s Support System</h2><p>Many people believe that resilience is like a rubber band—that once we are stretched or stressed, we can simply “bounce back.” However, this metaphor is tricky because it places the burden of having resilience solely on the individual, rather than on the valuable support that the outside world can offer. In <i>The Educator’s Guide to Child &amp; Family Resilience</i>, I discuss how resilience is often like a scale, with the child at the fulcrum. On one side, there are positive support systems, and on the other, there are negative experiences. School has an incredible opportunity to become a safe, supportive place for children, especially when there are adults who are present, compassionate, and listening to their students’ needs.</p><p>Districts all over the country often have resources available for families that can help cultivate resilience capacities. Whether it’s an afterschool program, mentorship opportunities, or simply knowing who the school counselor is, understanding what kind of support is available can be critical in creating optimal conditions for children to weather life’s adversities. Additionally, a plethora of resources online can offer tailored support, including the Scholastic Mental Health Resource, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, the Child Mind Institute, the Mental Health Coalition, and so many more.</p><h2>Create Habits That Prioritize the Joy of Learning</h2><p>Educators and caregivers can foster a child’s innate curiosity and joy for learning through daily reading habits. By actively joining students on their reading journeys, we can demonstrate that literacy is a lifelong skill worthy of attention. On a developmental level, literacy can help children develop self-awareness, emotional and cognitive skills, and empathy, and bolster resilience-building capacities. Reading about the lives of others broadens a child’s understanding of the world around them and can help model problem-solving and persistence.</p><p>The Scholastic <i>Kids &amp; Family Reading Report</i> Family Guide notes that an overwhelming majority of parents (90 percent) agree that books can create opportunities for conversation, and many parents of elementary-aged children have sought specific books that can help broach discussions about different or new experiences that their child may be facing, including navigating bullying (20 percent) and discussing difficult topics (32 percent). Whether you read together daily or encourage students to practice independent reading habits, this skill is one that will exponentially benefit your child’s intellectual development and ability to have meaningful conversations.</p><h2>Stick Together Through Turbulent Situations</h2><p>Children and adults alike need social connections and interactions. Our social relationships have the extraordinary ability to offer solace and comfort, and they are essential to our well-being. The American Psychological Association emphasizes that having close social ties lowers cortisol levels and that one of the primary factors in helping shape resilience is having caring and supportive relationships. From a resilience perspective, studies document that people who have the support of family, friends, and community members are happier, have an improved sense of self-worth, and have a stronger sense of belonging.</p><p>As children forge their way through this world, they need to be able to depend on trusting adults. In order to ensure that students are properly cared for as they encounter difficulties, we adults must take care of our mental and emotional selves in the process as well. As you’re taking the time each day to talk to your children, offering them safe spaces to unload mental burdens, be sure to find time to ground yourself and find support in your close relationships too. It could mean the difference between your family’s physiological and psychological duress or success.</p><p>Back-to-school is an exciting season and can offer us many new challenges and learning opportunities. Encouraging students, families, and classroom communities to practice resilience aids in more than just stellar academic records, fun friendships, and long-lasting memories. Building resilience skills means that children are able to weather adversity and help others manage too.</p></div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Resilience During a Time of Transition

Times of transition, such as children returning back to school, can often bring a wave of new challenges and emotions—both positive and negative. Students and families must adjust to their new routines and responsibilities, which can include meeting new peers, doing homework, juggling extracurricular activities, or adjusting bedtimes or mealtimes. Tackling these hurdles while trying to establish healthy habits that promote well-being can be demanding. While recent CDC data highlights improvement in children’s mental health, 40 percent of students are still reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. It is important to remember that during these transitional periods, families can employ resilience-building strategies to overcome adversity. To help navigate this time of change, families need resources to support their children academically and emotionally, both in and outside of school. Below, I offer four tips to help families during these transitional back-to-school moments.

Resilience During a Time of Transition

Comments / 0