If we had to think of one word for the year 2020, it would have to be resilience. We have had to adapt, work through tough situations, practice discipline on cleaning, staying in the house and social distancing. We are living “resilience in action”. The question is how to raise our children to be resilient in a time when sports, musicals, dance recitals and many other activities have been cancelled and learn how to create as we are preparing our children for school. 

Raising resilient kids starts with resilient adults. Being a role model for our children during this challenging time is really important. Show them what it is like to be flexible, supportive and calm. They will look to parents for cues how to act. They will remember our behavior during this time. Children will look back at 2020 someday and tell their children and grandchildren what it was like to live through a pandemic.

Resilience comes from learning to manage our emotions. Understanding that we must feel “all of our feels”, learning to work through them and not push them aside. Being aware of what our body feels like on the inside with each of our feelings is a great place to start.

Practicing mindfulness is extremely helpful in understanding our feelings and building resilience such as taking a few deep breaths in a quiet place, taking a few moments to connect with ourselves and being non-judgmental about how we feel. Practicing mindfulness as a family is helpful, too. Being a role model of mindfulness, taking that deep breath and pausing before a reaction, whether it be a situation of anger or disappointment, will show our children how to handle tough situations.

Make sure children have a group of supportive friends; that connection is really important. They cannot always see their friends in person right now, but encourage them to call or text them so they stay connected.

Building resilience begins with building confidence. Kids yoga uses positive affirmations. Positive self-talk is so important for children to learn. “I am smart, I am kind, I am amazing,” are some examples of positive affirmations that help children develop resilience. Through the use of affirmations, we learn to be kind to ourselves. When we are kind to ourselves, we are kind to others.

Developing resilience in children takes time, love and patience. Resilience is like planting a seed and watching it grow, one mindful breath at a time.

Ann Fields, RYT-200, the founder of Peaceful Poses Kids Yoga, is certified as a registered yoga teacher and registered children’s yoga teacher, with training in teaching exceptional needs children, trauma informed yoga and yoga for toddlers through teens. For more information, visit PeacefulPosesKidsYoga.com.