If you have toddlers, you are probably interested in building resilience. Children all have to learn how to build resilience and solve problems on their own. When it comes to strong emotional connections and self-esteem, it’s a great idea to start early. Keep reading to find out how to start building resilience in your toddler.

Making Independent Connections

One of the most important things you can do for your toddler is to encourage relationships. All children need to learn how to connect with their peer group.

This is useful because it teaches them how to build a village for extra support. Even the youngest children need emotional connections with those around their age group. This is vital in helping them to build confidence and self-esteem. It also teaches them important social dynamics that will grow stronger as they get older.

This is not just restricted to you and their surrounding family. Strong family connections are important, but so are connections outside of that group, as toddlers need to understand how to interact with other children. This promotes emotional growth as well as managing emotions and possible conflicts.

You can encourage these relationships by taking your toddler to age-based activities and other play opportunities. You can have play dates with other mothers or take them to a nearby park.

There are a lot of great ways that you can expose your child to different social situations.

Having a Routine

If you want to start building resilience in your toddler, routine is important. Children thrive when they have a routine in place that gives them structure. Children often struggle with focus and may not be able to do what they need to do. A routine provides structure and the freedom for them to enjoy the present moment.

Many children may act out or feel unhappy if they lack this structure in their life. One great thing about routines is that you can encourage your toddler to maintain their own routine. You can encourage confidence by allowing them to follow their routine independently.

Giving them the freedom to do certain things on their own is very beneficial for their growth. This promotes independence and gives them the confidence they need for daily activities. You can encourage this by having them sit at the table when they know it is time to eat. They can also go get their toys when they know it is playtime.  Even small tasks can help grow their independence.

Try New Activities

Practicing healthy risk-taking is very important for toddlers that are developing. In fact, all young children need to experiment with activities that encourage growth.

Trying out new things helps children to develop their own personalities. It encourages creative thinking and gives them an outlet to learn more about what they like. This is why you should expose your toddler to a range of different activities if you can. Routine and daily activities are good but there should be some variety in their life.

Young children tend to stick to things that they know and understand. They often won’t stray from these things if they aren’t encouraged to by their parents. You can do this by introducing them to different kinds of games.  There are all kinds of activities that your toddler can enjoy if they are given the opportunity.

Learn to Adapt

Part of developing problem-solving skills is learning how to adapt to different situations. It is important to step back and allow your toddler to analyse situations on their own.

It is easy for parents to want to rush in and save their children from any stress. Toddlers are especially sensitive to change and may struggle to control their emotions. But parents need to take a step back and allow their toddlers to adapt on their own.

Adapting to change is a life skill that many children do not learn early on. Teaching your toddler how to adapt to change is going to help them develop faster and become emotionally mature. Let them know that change is not always a bad thing, and they can always pick up the pieces after and find solutions.

Let Them Figure Things Out

It is very easy for parents to want to do everything for their toddlers. This is a natural instinct since they can’t always do everything by themselves. But that does not mean that they always need you to step in and save them. If you always swoop in and save them, they may miss the opportunity to develop confidence in themselves to find solutions.

Take a step back and allow your child to figure things out if something goes wrong. If they fall down, don’t immediately pick them up, let them stand on their own.

Why Is Resilience Important for Children?

Building resilience is often referred to as being able to bounce back after things go wrong. This is a skill that children need to develop early on so that they can recover and adapt to life’s challenges.

It is important for children to be able to overcome setbacks that they may experience. Even young children experience setbacks like a broken toy or something not going as expected. Resilience encourages positivity and allows them to continue on with life. Children who lack resilience will be more emotional and won’t be able to control those emotions as they grow.

It allows children to tackle problems and recover in healthy ways. This creates resilient children that are prepared to deal with the disappointments they may face in the future.

How to Practice Healthy Risk-Taking

Many parents immediately run away from the idea of risk-taking. After all, you don’t want to put your child in a situation that could be risky for them. The reality is that your children have to go through some kind of risk. This allows them to develop problem-solving skills and have confidence in themselves.

You can practice healthy risk-taking by stepping back in certain situations. Allow them to try new things while you stand back to make sure they are safe. This may feel risky, but as long as you are present, your child is not in any real danger. You can’t protect your children from everything, but you can teach them life skills. This ensures that if they are in a risky situation and you aren’t there, they will know what to do.

Building Resilience in Young Children

Resilience is a life skill that will prepare them and allow them to adapt in response to disappointments or changes that they face in their life. The earlier children are able to start building resilience, the earlier they are able to develop tools to allow management of their emotions and approach to situations.

This article is designed to provide general advice for parents and guardians, for specific health advice, please consult with your child’s healthcare practitioner.

Peruse our articles for physical and mental development tips here at Nutura Organic for more information about nutrition and the importance of a village of support!