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Over the last few decades, our purchasing power in most developed countries has tripled. However, this has not translated into higher quality of life or better sense of wellbeing. By some estimates, depression rates have actually increased as much as ten times in the same time frame, particularly in young adolescents.
Thankfully, there are some simple things we can do to help our children cope with their busy lives, friendships, school, big feelings, and just feeling overwhelmed and overloaded. We teach them how to manage feelings by providing them with age appropriate strategies and tools, we then let them have a go. We don’t interfere in the process, even if they get angry and frustrated, then we ask them to reflect on their choices and the outcomes that result from those choices.
When we feel capable and empowered, we feel confident in our ability to look after ourselves and to solve problems. The more we practice making decisions and solving problems, the more capable and empowered we feel. This creates an ongoing pattern of positive feedback.
Even if it may seem difficult to cease trying to control a situation, ultimately we want our children to have these little victories as often as possible to gain the feeling that they are at the helm in control of their life. We should start small to ensure success, and in time these small successes will provide an enormous benefit to their self-esteem. Most of us have experienced the exhilaration of overcoming a fear, or mastering something we didn’t think we could, and how invincible we felt afterwards. This is the feeling we all want for our children.
For further information and useful resources on the topic of empowering your children to make positive decisions in their lives, please take a look at What’s the Buzz? by Mark LeMessurier and Madhavi Nawana Parker and The Resilience and Wellbeing Toolbox by Madhavi Nawana Parker.
www.wellbeingforkids.com.au
