Giving your child emotional support not only builds resilience but boosts brain development too.
As we navigate the challenges of raising young children in a pandemic, stress is inevitable. Unfortunately, many of these stresses can also trigger negative developmental effects. Now more than ever, providing your child with emotional support is so important. Emotional support builds your child’s physical and emotional strength – it gives your child resilience, or the ability to tackle any problem they may face. From everyday tasks like opening a jar to milestones like starting school, all children will face challenges. Your job as a parent is to give them the emotional tools to handle whatever may come their way.
How can a parent build a child’s resilience? California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris shares a simple but effective “prescription” – and it’s free!
Engage in conversations together
Read books and tell stories
Focus on quality time together and fill those moments with affection – the more cuddles and hugs, the better!
By spending time with your child doing these simple activities, you are building your child’s emotional toolbox, filling it with different ways for your child to express, experience, and manage emotions. With your support, your child can learn how to face any obstacle, big or small!
To learn more from the California Surgeon General, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, click here.
