We have seen a sad trend in the last few years. More children between 10 and 14 years old are taking their lives. Sometimes this happens because of something that seems small to adults like a parent saying no to a smartphone, bike or toy.. To a child this can feel like a huge problem. We need to understand how children think and feel from an age so we can help prevent these tragedies and make them stronger emotionally.
The Neurological Link: Why Early Training Matters
The Power of Early Wiring
When children are young their brains are learning and growing based on what happens to them. If a child always gets what they want away they start to think that is how life works. They do not learn how to wait or deal with being disappointed.
The Shift in Expectations
When these children get a little older and go to school or play sports they expect everyone to treat them the way. They get very upset if someone says no to them. They do not know how to handle it. Can become extremely distressed. In the cases this can lead to self-harm or even suicide.
Strategies for Building Emotional Resilience
Teaching the Art of Waiting
It is very important to teach children when they're young. We can do this by making them wait for things they want or by giving them rewards when they achieve something. This helps them learn to be patient.
Here are some things we can do:
- Delayed Gratification: of giving children what they want right away we can make them wait for a little while or work towards a goal.
- Setting Boundaries: We should say no to children when what they want is not reasonable. This helps them understand that they will not always get what they want.
Shaping Character for the Future
Teaching children how to behave is not about being mean to them. It is about getting them ready for life. When we teach children to deal with problems now we are helping them get stronger, for the bigger problems they will face when they are older. We need to help them practice being resilient.
The fact that more young children are taking their lives is a reminder that we need to help them develop good behaviors when they are young. We need to teach them how to talk, control their emotions and be patient. If we do this we can help them be stronger and more resilient. One of the things parents can do is teach their children patience and resilience. This helps them deal with life when it is tough.