The development of resilience can be viewed as one of the most vital ingredients for emotional health and well being. The ability to deal with situations and bounce back after adversity is of paramount importance for all children, but especially those who live with uncertainty and disruption outside of school. For children whose lives consist of them being criticised and ridiculed, or who live with drama and chaos, a sense of resilience is necessary for them to cope with this experience. The capacity for anyone to develop and sustain this is supported by the impact of other people who are able to encourage and believe in them.
In order to develop resilience, children need to experience some frustration to enable them to strengthen their ability to problem solve and learn. School staff can support this experience by ensuring they resist the urge to rescue or over help children. Whilst children may not always be able to tolerate frustration, the opportunity to experience this whilst supported by a trusting adult is vital. The ability to practice having courage and facing fears can also contribute enormously to the development of resilience. A child who has experienced being brave and has had their experience validated by a caring adult is more able to strengthen these skills. Children who are resilient are able to develop strategies to support themselves when they experience difficult situations and therefore have their own bank of resources to use when life becomes challenging. Their experience of using a strategy that has worked for themselves enables them to use this again when they need to.