By Brittany Cotton
Life is difficult even for children. That’s why it’s important to build resilience as early as possible. Resilience gives children the tools they need to gain confidence and meet the demands of modern life. But building resilience isn’t easy. And for children with behavioral issues, resilience building may even seem to be an impossible task. Thankfully, that isn’t the case. Here’s why.
How Children with Behavioral Issues May Act
Behavioral issues can vary quite widely from child to child. Signs can also start to appear at different ages. Many issues, for example, may start to show before the child has turned eight. These symptoms can also worsen over months or years. Diagnosing these issues as early as possible is vital.
Behavioral Problems
Children with behavioral problems will usually show a recurrent pattern of negative behaviors towards adults. These behaviors can range from tantrums to a refusal to listen to authority figures like parents or teachers. Some children may become angry or start to hold resentment. Others may try to annoy and upset people. When combined with other behavior issues such as blaming others, these behaviors can lead to a diagnosis of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD).
Having Patience
Whether a child is officially diagnosed with ODD or not, it’s still important to focus on fixing these issues. And that means having the patience to deal with bad behavior. This is even more important when dealing with children suffering from anxiety or other mood disorders. More than anything, it’s important to not lose patience with a child. Yelling or giving disparaging remarks can quickly break down trust or teach the child that such behaviors are acceptable.
Building Resilience in Children With Behavioral Issues
Resilience isn’t easy to build. When it comes to children with behavior issues, however, the problems that arise are much more pronounced. Unfortunately, these kind of children are the ones who need resilience the most. Building this resilience is essential in order to build the foundations for a successful transition to adulthood.
The Importance of Resilience
Why is resilience important? And why is it especially important for a child with behavior issues to build resilience? Because it gives them the tools they need to deal with the difficulties and changes of life. Resilient children can cope with stressful and challenging situations. They become able to more easily deal with future challenges. For children with behavior issues, this means being able to become more emphatic as well as improving their communication skills.
Ways To Build Resilience
As important as resilience is, it’s also difficult to build. The key, however, lies in starting early. The easiest way to do this is by acting as a responsible role model. This can be as simple as showing good sportsmanship or teaching them to solve problems with their peers. Likewise, high expectations also serve to give a child the desire to grow. High expectations are also helpful in showing your child how to properly deal with failure if they fail to reach their goals.
Importance of Family and Support
When helping children with behavioral issues build resilience, the right support network is essential for progress. This means being able to understand your child as well as the issues that they face. Family gives children stability and opens the path for greater independence.
Why Children Need Support
Adolescence is a difficult time for any child. At this stage of their lives, they will be forced to deal with challenges of all kinds. And a child with the right level of support will be able to face these challenges head on and develop the proper coping strategies. Success also grants greater resilience and confidence. By working with your child to develop themselves, you give them the ability to stand on their own.
How to Support a Child With Behavioral Issues
Supporting a child with behavioral issues isn’t easy. However, by taking the time to learn about your child’s disorder, you can more easily help them. This means giving your child and their feelings proper validation. Trust is essential in being able to help your child. And trust can only be built on mutual respect.
Nurturing Resilience
Even children with behavioral issues deserve to reach their full potential. Taking the time to give your child the care they need is vital in being able to nurture and grow their resilience. And when a child is able to build strong foundations through resilience, their life can truly begin.