Building children's resilience

THE EDITOR: Children's Mental Health Week takes place from February 3-9, 2025, and focuses on the theme "Know Yourself, Grow Yourself." This theme encourages children and young people to explore self-awareness and build resilience.

It gives parents and teachers, whether at home or at school, an opportunity to encourage children to talk about their emotions, understand why they feel certain emotions, and to help them develop ways of coping and building their resilience in the face of struggles and trauma.

Unfortunately, as we have noted in the past weeks of this new year, more and more children are thinking of suicide (passive ideation) and some are taking their lives (completed suicide).

In many instances, they are unable to understand their feelings as they feel pressured in some way, whether they are bullied or feel overwhelmed by academic challenges or adverse childhood experiences in homes, and they think that the only solution is to end their lives.

Last week there were several reports of children and teenagers, as young as 12 years old in Trinidad, who had died by suicide. Twelve! At this tender age, what were the issues that seemed too much for them to bear and which overpowered them in the end?

This week especially, I encourage
all schools in this country to put aside
one day at least and to devote that day solely for the mental health and well-being of the children of this nation. Both teachers and parents can do any of the following suggestions on the theme of Children’s Mental Health Week:

Know yourself

1. Self-awareness: Understanding oneself is the first step towards personal growth. Encourage children of all ages to reflect on their feelings, thoughts and behaviours. Do activities in your class like journaling, art or hold discussions with older children to help them articulate their feelings.

Let them recognise and
name their emotions: happy, sad, frustrated, anxious, afraid. Allow them to talk about these feelings and help them to understand that these emotions do not define them.

2. Identify their strengths and weaknesses: Help children to identify their strengths and the areas where they want to improve. Empower them and praise them for their various talents and achievements.

Have a constructive conversation with your class about the challenges they face in the school and at home. Reassure them that if they want to speak privately on a matter that you can refer them to a guidance counsellor or social worker.

3. Understanding differences: Do activities, art or craft work, that would teach children about diversity and individuality and help them to appreciate their uniqueness and that of others. We can teach them coping strategies and problem-solving skills through role-playing scenarios that can enhance their social and communication skills.

Grow yourself

1. Set age-appropriate goals: Let children begin to plan and chart their goals, and this can be done at any age level in the classroom or home. The earlier the better. Guide them to set and pursue achievable goals which help them learn about planning and perseverance. Celebrate their successes at the end of the school week, and teach them the value of hard work and determination.

2. Resilience and problem-solving: Let them talk about any challenges and setbacks that they may have, in an atmosphere where they see that you are there for them and want to understand. Do not be judgemental or criticise what they may say, as an understanding of their feelings is crucial for their emotional and psychological development.

Encourage them to learn from failures and to get back up, if they fall. Do group activities and collaborative projects to develop resilience and help them to learn the importance of communication and collaboration.

3. Promote health and well-being: Most teachers and parents do this already but it is necessary to repeat the importance of physical health, mental health, and self-care practices – such as balanced nutrition, exercise, and simple relaxation techniques; for example, deep-breathing exercises and mindfulness.

Our children need our help and support more than ever in this fast-paced world, influenced by the ills and misunderstandings of social media posts. Integrating the “Know Yourself, Grow Yourself” theme into children's daily lives not only aids in their personal development, but also equips them with essential life skills.

By promoting self-awareness and growth, parents, educators, and caregivers can help children foster resilience, confidence, and empathy, and set them on a path toward becoming well-rounded, capable individuals.

These foundational skills will serve them throughout their lives, helping them to navigate any challenges and to cultivate the healthy relationships that they will have.

This week, let Children’s Mental Health week be a happy one! Take care.

DR MARGARET NAKHID-CHATOOR

psychologist/educator