Psychotherapist Reveals 4 Habits That Could Help Raise Resilient Children

0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Parents often worry about how their children will cope when life gets difficult, but resilience is not something that appears overnight.

A 2019 study , published in Health Affairs , suggests children are more likely to thrive when they have strong support systems and positive family relationships, even in the face of challenges.

Speaking to Newsweek , Manhattan-based psychotherapist Katie Rose shared four ways parents can help raise resilient children.

Rose said giving children too much responsibility too early can leave them feeling overwhelmed rather than confident.

"Resilient children develop confidence in their ability to solve problems over time," she said.

"Children develop resilience when they feel fundamentally safe," she said.

She explained that a calm nervous system supports curiosity, creativity, emotional regulation and healthy risk-taking, while children burdened with adult concern s can experience unnecessary stress.

Rose said children are better able to handle challenges when they know their feelings will be accepted rather than dismissed.

"We want our children to learn that difficult emotions are manageable, mistakes are repairable, and setbacks are part of growth," she said.

Rose believes children learn resilience by watching how the adults around them respond to challenges.

"Children learn far more from what we model than what we tell them," she said. "When they consistently see healthy coping, flexible thinking, and self-compassion, they begin to internalize those same skills and carry them into their own lives."

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Charlotte Nisbet and Emma Lee-Sang

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