3. Research has identified a common set of factors that predispose children to positive outcomes in the face of significant adversity<\/strong>. Individuals who demonstrate resilience in response to one form of adversity may not necessarily do so in response to another. Yet when these positive influences are operating effectively, they \u201cstack the scale\u201d with positive weight and optimize resilience across multiple contexts. These counterbalancing factors include:<\/p>\n 4. Learning to cope with manageable threats is critical for the development of resilience<\/strong>. Not all stress is harmful. There are numerous opportunities in every child\u2019s life to experience manageable stress\u2014and with the help of supportive adults, this \u201cpositive stress\u201d can be growth-promoting. Over time, we become better able to cope with life\u2019s obstacles and hardships, both physically and mentally.<\/p>\n 5. The capabilities that underlie resilience can be strengthened at any age<\/strong>. The brain and other biological systems are most adaptable early in life. Yet while their development lays the foundation for a wide range of resilient behaviors, it is never too late to build resilience. Age-appropriate, health-promoting activities can significantly improve the odds that an individual will recover from stress-inducing experiences.<\/p>\n For example, regular physical exercise, stress-reduction practices, and programs that actively build executive function and self-regulation skills can improve the abilities of children and adults to cope with, adapt to, and even prevent adversity in their lives. Adults who strengthen these skills in themselves can better model healthy behaviors for their children, thereby improving the resilience of the next generation.<\/p>\n Reprinted with permission from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (https:\/\/developingchild.harvard.edu<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n * * * *<\/p>\n The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University has made the following available to those who want to learn more about resilience:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n One way to understand the development of resilience is to visualize a balance scale or seesaw (see figure below). Protective experiences and coping skills on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1290,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,18],"tags":[1203],"series":[1438],"class_list":["post-1287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-parenting-kids-in-care","category-trauma-informed-care","tag-resilience","series-nov-2017"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fosteringperspectives.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1287","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fosteringperspectives.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fosteringperspectives.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fosteringperspectives.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fosteringperspectives.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1287"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fosteringperspectives.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1287\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fosteringperspectives.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fosteringperspectives.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fosteringperspectives.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fosteringperspectives.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1287"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fosteringperspectives.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fseries&post=1287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fosteringperspectives.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/tipping-the-scale.jpg\")
<\/a>2. Children who do well in the face of serious hardship typically have a biological resistance to adversity and strong relationships with the important adults in their family and community. Resilience is the result of a combination of protective factors<\/strong>. Neither individual characteristics nor social environments alone are likely to ensure positive outcomes for children who experience prolonged periods of toxic stress. It is the interaction between biology and environment that builds a child\u2019s ability to cope with adversity and overcome threats to healthy development.<\/p>\n\n
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Learn More about Resilience<\/span><\/h6>\n
<\/a>Watch<\/a><\/strong> a series of short videos that provides an overview of why resilience matters, how it develops, and how to strengthen it in children.<\/p>\nRead<\/strong> <\/a>a working paper called \u201cSupportive Relationships and Active Skill-Building Strengthen the Foundations of Resilience\u201d by the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child.<\/p>\n<\/a>Play<\/a><\/strong> the interactive \u201cTipping the Scales: The Resilience Game,\u201d which teaches how the choices we make can help children and the community as a whole become more resilient in the face of serious challenges.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"