Three top tips for supporting children. Parents role modelling wellbeing, growing resilience and cultivating curiosity

By Sally Evans

As a parent, it's natural to want the best for our children. From ensuring they have a healthy diet and exercise to providing a supportive and nurturing home environment, parents play a critical role in shaping their children's lives.

However, many parents overlook one of the most important factors in their children's development - their own wellbeing. In this blog, we'll explore why it's essential for parents to manage their own wellbeing, be resilient, and cultivate curiosity, in order to help our children become stronger and more resilient.

Role model and lead by example

Children learn from their parents' behaviour and attitudes. If we are constantly stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed, children are more likely to adopt those same unhelpful behaviours. Conversely, if we prioritise and learn to model healthy coping strategies, our children are more likely to follow suit.

By managing our own wellbeing, we are showing our children that it's important to maintain perspective, focus on what is within our control and that it is okay to prioritise self-care.

Build Resilience

Resilience is the ability to adapt and bounce back from difficult situations. As a parent, it's essential to be resilient, especially during challenging times such as divorce, financial struggles, or illness. By demonstrating resilience and showing our children how to overcome adversity, we are helping them build resilience too. This can help our children better handle stress, anxiety, and other challenges as they grow older.

Cultivate Curiosity

Curiosity is an important trait to cultivate in children, as it promotes exploration, learning, and growth. By modelling curiosity, we can encourage our children to be curious and develop a growth mindset where they will develop perseverance and grit when things get a little tough or difficult. This can help children become more resilient and better able to adapt to change.

Managing our own wellbeing, having our own coping strategies, building our own resilience, and cultivating our own curiosity are all essential for helping our children become stronger and more resilient.

By leading by example and prioritising self-care, we can show our children healthy habits that will benefit them throughout their lives. So, take care of yourself, be resilient, and stay curious – your children will thank you for it!