How are resilience and self-identity connected to the health and wellbeing of a child?

"Resilience is normal development under difficult conditions"

(Fonagy, 1992, as cited by Roberts, 2010)

Promoting the growth of resilience within young children is a learning process that will benefit their health and wellbeing for the rest of their lives. Learning to bounce back from life's complexities is a necessary tool to ensure the strength and quality of a child's health and wellbeing.

By developing a strong sense of identity, children become capable of expressing their feelings, achieve a sense of belonging, and are able to respect and understand the identities of others. By learning to express themselves and feel connected to the world around them, the child's self-esteem flourishes. Self-identity plays a large role in the child's positive emotional and social wellbeing.

When teachers educate children to become resilient, it is important to set high expectations of what they envision the children to achieve in different learning areas (cognitively, socially, or even physically). In order for children to attain these expectations, their teachers must become great supporters of their mental, social, and emotional wellbeing.

“When neglected, mental health and safety concerns can function as obstacles to academic performance. At the same time, when educators and parents set and uphold high academic expectations, they convey faith and confidence in what works and what is right among students and schools”.

(Wang, Haertel & Walberg, cited in Oddone, 2002)