Resilience is the ability to bounce back from difficult or challenging situations. It is a quality that has long been valued and encouraged in children, as it helps them to overcome obstacles, build confidence, and develop a sense of self-reliance. However, in recent years, there has been growing concern about the declining resilience of children. Today, many children seem to lack the resilience that previous generations possessed, which can make it harder for them to navigate the challenges of life. Here are some of the key reasons why our kids no longer have resilience.

Overprotective parenting

Overprotective parenting is one of the main reasons why children lack resilience. Parents today tend to be more anxious and protective than in the past, which means that children are often shielded from risks and challenges. While this may seem like a good thing in the short term, it can have negative consequences in the long run. When children are never allowed to experience failure or struggle, they don’t learn how to cope with adversity. Instead, they may become overly reliant on their parents to solve their problems, which can lead to learned helplessness.

Technology

Technology is another factor that has contributed to the decline of resilience in children. While technology has many benefits, it has also changed the way children interact with the world. Today’s children spend more time on screens than ever before, which means they have fewer opportunities to engage in unstructured play and exploration. As a result, they may not develop the same level of creativity, imagination, and problem-solving skills that children of previous generations did.

Pressure to succeed

In today’s society, there is a lot of pressure on children to succeed. They are expected to excel in school, extracurricular activities, and social life. This pressure can be overwhelming for some children, and it can lead to anxiety, stress, and burnout. When children are constantly striving for perfection, they may not learn how to handle setbacks or failure. Instead, they may feel like they have to be perfect all the time, which can be a recipe for disaster when they inevitably encounter challenges.

Lack of unstructured

play Unstructured play is essential for children’s development, as it helps them to develop social skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. However, many children today don’t have enough unstructured playtime. Instead, their schedules are packed with structured activities like sports, music lessons, and tutoring. While these activities can be beneficial, they don’t provide the same opportunities for free play and exploration that children need to develop resilience.

Reduced social connections

Finally, reduced social connections are another factor that has contributed to the decline of resilience in children. Today’s children are less likely to have close relationships with extended family members, neighbors, or members of their community. Instead, they may spend most of their time interacting with peers online. While social media can be a great way to stay connected, it doesn’t provide the same opportunities for face-to-face interaction and relationship-building that children need to develop resilience.

These are just a few of the factors that have contributed to the decline in our children’s resilience.

It has been shown in studies that a child’s happiness, resilience and higher success in life depends on the guidance and support provided by their parents or caregivers.

Thanks to the latest behavioural studies, we have a better blueprint on usable strategies and simple techniques to raise resilient happy kids of all ages.

That’s why I’m excited to let you know you can now access the via replay the ParentTV Live Bootcamp: 3 Critical Strategies to raise Resilient, Happy Kids of all Ages, with Dr Vanessa Lapointe, R Psych and hosted by Nicole Phelps.

Click HERE or the image below to find out more!