Resilience is not something we’re born with, but rather something we learn through modelling and practice.
Teaching resilience in kids enables them to cope with and adapt to challenging situations – an essential skill for dealing with the ups and downs throughout life, particularly as they enter adolescence and adulthood.
Today on June 1, we celebrate Global Parents Day in honour of parents and the important role they play in teaching and nurturing children, in turn building strong and resilient communities.
At CatholicCare Victoria, supporting parents is part of our mission to empower families to live life to the full and contribute to the strengthening and resilience of our local communities, too.
We’re building parents’ capacity to strengthen resilience in kids
Our Building Resilience in Kids workshop in Bendigo supports parents and carers to build resilience in their kids and encourage resilience-building habits and mindsets.
By equipping parents with practical skills and knowledge, we’re building and enhancing parenting capacity, and supporting them to role model resilience for their kids.
I feel much more informed about how to help develop resilience in my child and really appreciated not just learning 'what' to do, but also learning more about how and why these approaches and methods are effective.
Building Resilience in Kids workshop participant
Our Team Leader of Parenting, Group Work and Chaplaincy in Bendigo, Jo Rodriguez, co-developed the Building Resilience in Kids workshop in early 2020 and has been running the workshop ever since, also adapting the workshop for online delivery throughout COVID-19.
“Our Building Resilience in Kids workshop explores what resilience is and the many different factors that contribute to strengthening resilience in our kids, families and communities,” says Jo.
“Based on knowledge from a number of leading researchers and experts, the Building Resilience in Kids workshop provides parents with practical ideas for helping kids of all ages develop skills, habits and attitudes for building resilience.”
The biggest things I took away from the workshop are validating children’s feelings (rather than problem solving straight away), and focusing on showing and talking through when I have made mistakes (role modelling). I loved the acronym "FAIL" (First Attempt In Learning). Will be sharing this one with the kids!
Building Resilience in Kids workshop participant
The focus of our Building Resilience in Kids workshop is not only on the internal individual skills, such as healthy mindset and emotional awareness/regulation, but also the external supports that parents, families and communities can contribute for strengthening resilience.
This workshop, along with all others offered at CatholicCare Victoria, also open doorways for parents and carers to access further support for their kids and family – be it through participation in other capacity-building workshops, or finding tailored one-on-one support from our Family and Relationship Services.
For more information on the Building Resilience in Kids workshop and other courses on offer in the Bendigo region, visit the CatholicCare Victoria (Sandhurst region) website.
Jo Rodriguez | Team Leader, Parenting, Group Work and Chaplaincy
Liz Gellel | Communications Coordinator
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