Children and the 3 R’s of Resilience

Here's another from a guest blogger, this one Lynn Durham, RN, Well Being Coach, whom I met just the other night! Lynn is focused on wellness as an adjunct professor, columnist, speaker, author, consultant and personal coach. You can learn more about her at www.lynndurham.com.

We want the best for our children. What is something to give them as tools for life? How about teaching the 3 R’s of resilience – relax, reflect, and respond?

When the stress response is elicited there are a number of negative things that happen physically in the body. We can change what happens by changing our thoughts and our words and actions in the moment.                

We have a choice. We get to determine the thoughts we’ll hold, when we’ll speak, what we’ll say and how we’ll act.

The Harvard Deaconess Mind Body Medical Institute has researched the relationship between exposure to a relaxation response curriculum and academic achievement using the four measures of grade point average, work habits, cooperation and attendance. “Students who had more than two exposures to semester long classes in which teachers had been trained in the relaxation response curriculum had higher grade point averages, work habits scores and cooperation scores than students who have two or fewer exposures.” www.mbmi.org is a resource for programs and tapes for children, some in Spanish.

For relaxation: I’ve had my children listen to relaxation tapes and experience how it feels as they consciously let go and calm down. I’ve led guided visualizations in schools. Children enjoy using their imaginations. Learning to take slow, deep breaths is a very important technique for being more peaceful.

Children can choose AND they watch and learn from you. Do you Relax into the moment? Do you Reflect on what is most kind and respectful? Do you choose to Respond (Take responsibility for your thoughts words and actions as opposed to blaming others) or are you a reactor on automatic (with a mushroom cloud?) pretending that others are the cause of how you live your life?

Resources are abundant, get a coach, take a workshop, buy a tape and practice new skills. It’s important for your health - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. And …your children are watching you.

Practice the 3 R’s of resilience for you. Teach it to your children. Relax, reflect and respond. It’s a gift for yourself, for your children and all those you touch.

 

Comments

[Rachael]

Keep up the great work! I love your website and your blog!

[Rae Pica]

Thanks, Rachael! I hope you'll become a member of our community at BAM! Street (www.bamstreet.com), where you can connect with like minded parents and educators!

[Pandora Jewelry]

Now we have a great walkway that goes to the beach and to the canals that came from the partnership of community with government