The Protective Factors are strengths all families have and can build upon that support resilient, thriving children and families. These factors help to reduce stress, enhance wellbeing, and support parent-child relationships which are foundational for healthy development in children. This month, our focus is on Parental Resilience – a parent’s inner resources and coping skills that help us handle stress and crisis. This doesn’t mean you need to go it alone.

Mixed in with life’s joys, at times we may experience different stressors and challenges. Some don’t present themselves until we become parents. Parenting stress is caused by personal and external pressures, as well as those that arise in relation to having children. All parents experience stress from time to time. Resilience is a process that all of us can cultivate to effectively manage stressful situations and help our families survive hardship.

It is important to read the signs of stress in our body and to recognize where the stresses are coming from. Find a coping strategy that works for you. Fortunately, resilience is something that people can build in themselves. Parents can also help their children become resilient. Signs of resilience include the ability to regulate emotions, a sense of confidence and control, using coping strategies, and leaning on social support when needed. This serves as a model of stress management for children, which can help them learn about their own emotions and develop their problem-solving skills.

During times of stress, it can be hard to figure out exactly what we’re feeling or what to do, especially if we’re already feeling overwhelmed. Our body has an amazing ability to tell us when we are stressed. Stress affects all systems of the body, so tuning into our body’s sensations can help us understand when we are getting stressed and find sources of support.

The next time you feel your stress level rising, see if you can tune into your body’s signals and name what is happening. “Whew, I’m starting to feel pretty tense, my heart is beating so fast, I’m going to go sit down and just breathe for a few minutes.” Narrating what is happening can help us recognize stress earlier, normalizes these feelings/sensations, and shows our children how we manage stress. It gives them the language to understand what they’re observing and their own body’s signals.