Resilience is the ability to “bounce back” from stressors and difficult situations. It helps adults and children handle stress, overcome childhood disadvantage, recover from trauma and reach out to others. Studies show that resilient people have happier relationships and are less prone to depression, more successful in school and jobs, and live healthier and longer lives.108 The way a person thinks about life’s challenges can affect his or her ability to cope with them. Parents have “thinking habits” that can help or hinder responses to stressful situations. Young children mimic the way significant adults in their lives respond to these situations. If the parent or caregiver demonstrates any of the red flag thinking habits, the child may develop these thinking habits too.

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If a child habitually uses the following ways of thinking, consider this a red flag:

 

► Takes things personally and blames self or others for the stressful situation
► Expresses belief that the stressful situation is permanent
► Expresses belief that the stressful situation will affect many areas of life