Harnessing School Holidays: Building Resilience in Children
- Jessica Chrystal
- Jan 9
- 4 min read
School holidays offer a unique opportunity to focus on developing resilience in children outside the academic environment. This period can be an excellent time for children to engage in activities that strengthen their adaptability and fortitude. In this blog, we’ll explore proactive strategies parents can use during the holidays to enhance their children’s resilience.
The Importance of Building Resilience in Children
Resilience isn’t just about bouncing back from difficulties; it’s about thriving despite them. For children, developing resilience is crucial for dealing with both small setbacks and significant challenges throughout life. The school holidays provide a break from routine, presenting a perfect setting to cultivate these essential skills.
Proactive Resilience-Building Strategies
Create Challenges and Encourage Healthy Risk-Taking
Use the leisure time during holidays to encourage your children to try new activities that may push them slightly out of their comfort zones. Whether it’s learning a new sport, participating in a drama workshop, or exploring a new hobby, each new challenge helps build the confidence that they can accomplish new skills, despite having doubts or feeling scared at the idea of taking part in a new activity.
Downtime
After engaging in challenging activities, it’s important to schedule downtime to allow your child to reflect and rejuvenate. This could include quiet reading time, free play, or engaging in relaxation techniques such as yoga or guided meditation. This downtime helps them process their experiences and restores their energy for new challenges.
Strengthen Social Connections
Organise playdates or small group activities with peers. Social interactions can help children develop empathy, recognise shared feelings, and practice conflict resolution — skills that are fundamental to building resilience.
Focus on Problem-Solving Skills
Engage your child in planning outings or projects during the holidays. Discuss potential challenges and brainstorm solutions together, enhancing their ability to navigate obstacles and make decisions independently.
Example
Plan a Cooperative Playdate: Arrange a playdate with activities that encourage teamwork, like a puzzle or a cooperative board game. Discuss strategies with your child beforehand to handle social challenges and improve the friendship.
Provide Supervision and Guidance: Discretely monitor the playdate to ensure interactions remain positive and offer support when needed by guiding your child to make their own decisions when challenges arise, rather than stepping in to solve problems for them.
Reflect Together: After the playdate, debrief with your child to discuss what went well and identify areas for improvement, reinforcing lessons learned and boosting confidence for future social interactions.
Cultivate a Growth Mindset
Celebrate efforts rather than outcomes. Encourage your child to see learning and development as a continuous process. Discuss what they’ve learned from different experiences, emphasising that skill and aptitude can grow with effort.
Model and Discuss Resilience
Share stories of your own or historical figures who have overcome challenges through persistence and creativity. These stories can inspire children and provide clear examples of resilience in action.
Encourage Expressive Activities
Provide opportunities for your child to engage in artistic activities such as painting, writing, or music. These can be powerful outlets for expressing emotions and coping with stress.
Exploring Resilience: Examples of how school breaks can be used to build resilience and foster social skills among children — each moment can help to build their resilience and social capabilities. Discover how these activities can fortify your child's confidence and coping skills during school breaks.
Targeted Activities in Perth to Foster Resilience in Children
If you are back at work or just struggling to find dedicated time, or if you're looking for more specific opportunities to support your child's development during the school holidays, there are some excellent programs on offer in Perth. These activities are designed to challenge and support children in building their resilience, while providing them with fun, engaging experiences. Here are a few noteworthy options that might be exactly what you’re searching for:
Standing Strong Clubs
These clubs provide structured yet engaging environments where children can learn about confidence, self-esteem, and resilience through interactive sessions that promote mental and emotional well-being. More Info: Standing Strong Clubs
Strength Heroes Workshops
Creative and art-based workshops that aim to help equip children with resilience skills through engaging projects, teaching them how to manage challenges creatively and effectively. More Info: Strength Heroes Workshops
YMCA Programs
From All Abilities Camps to specialised sports and arts activities, YMCA programs support physical activity and social interaction, helping children of all abilities develop resilience and personal growth. More Info: YMCA Programs
These programs offer valuable opportunities for children to grow, learn, and thrive even when you may be struggling to provide daily guidance. Engaging your child in these activities can help them build essential life skills in a supportive and structured environment.
Benefits of Building Resilience During Holidays
The relaxed pace of school holidays allows for deeper exploration and engagement without the pressures of school deadlines. This time can be used to reinforce resilience in a natural, stress-free environment, helping children return to school equipped with stronger emotional tools.
Whilst holidays are a time for children to escape the rigid routines of the school year, they also provide a window of opportunity to focus on building resilience and preparing children to handle future challenges with confidence and poise. These breaks from the academic year are not just times for rest but also invaluable periods for growth and development.
Looking for more strategies to build your child's resilience during the school holidays? Contact Mini Minds Child & Adolescent Psychology for personalised support. We would love to help make the most of the holidays to foster resilience that lasts a lifetime.
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For more resources on how we can assist in supporting your child’s emotional resilience, or to learn about our services, visit our Counselling & Therapy page and our Assessments page.
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