Resiliency is defined as the ability to withstand or recover quickly from difficult or challenging situations. In the psychological world, a resilient brain is one that can adapt to whatever life throws its way. While you’re never too old to train your brain to think or react a certain way, young brains are incredibly malleable, making early childhood an ideal time for young minds to pick up resilient behaviors. Read on to learn 4 ways to help your child learn resilience and grow up with a sharp, flexible brain.
Talk and read to your child as much as you can.
You’ve heard about the importance of engaging your child with written and verbal communication, but did you know that these two things aren’t just important to development, but can help your child’s brain become flexible and more resilient? Research indicates that children who are a few months old have brains that still make use of words – even when they can’t understand them on a conscious level. The more words they hear from a young age, the stronger their neural foundation for later learning.
Explain things to your child.
Kids are notorious for asking “why.” While it can be exhausting to answer your child’s every last question about the world and how it works, explaining how things work makes the world more predictable on a neurological level. When the brain is able to predict things well, it works more efficiently. Plus, providing your child with an answer other than “because I said so” helps them understand the reasoning behind actions – something that will help them learn cause and effect behaviors.
Help your children copy good behaviors.
Kids pick up on others' behaviors. Children learn naturally by watching, playing, and copying the adults around them. So, the next time you’re sweeping the floor, hand your child a miniature broom or invest in a play lawnmower that they can use while you’re cutting the grass. This is an efficient way to help your child learn necessary behaviors at a young age. A word to the wise: children will copy you for better or worse, so make sure that your bad habits (like cursing) are at a minimum.
Expose children (safely) to lots of people.
Want to raise children who value diversity? Surround them with as many different kinds of people as possible. While this may be easier said than done during the pandemic, pick up this habit once it is safe to. Exposing your children to diverse faces, especially in infancy, can help them remember a greater variety of faces later in life. Another bonus? Interacting with people who speak different languages can help your child master second and third languages when they’re older.
Optimize every aspect of your life with these interesting tips and ideas, courtesy of the professional team at Domain City Center Apartments in Lenexa, Kansas.