Resilience

Risky play supports resilience

RESILIENCE BLOG                                                               15/03/2023

Let's talk resilience. 

I just had an interesting conversation with a former colleague about 'teaching kids resilience' and her agreed disappointment in the current curriculum content.  She's been told 'the kids have no resilience' and yet, she is then told to assess, gather data, support with intervention on these little people and yet they are still failing!  Failing what?  Failing school? Failing life? Failing to read because it's not developmentally appropriate to teach a four year to read or to sit at a desk all day?

Children will learn to read when they are developmentally ready to.  Please parents, you are your child's biggest advocate, if your child is 'failing' be very concerned about their emotional well-being and mental health, not their GRADES.  Given the opportunities, they will learn resilience when they attempt to climb that tree, fall over in the mud, learn to play with a friend, and how to wait when they can't get that 'toy' they want (don't even get me started on 'sharing is caring'). 

Let kids be kids!  Let them play, if not, why not? Play is where children learn all of the skills they need for life, including 'resilience' and not sitting at a desk with a work sheet. We know it, teachers know it and the research is there.

Need more information, check out Nathan Wallis, Dr Peter Gray, Wildlings Forest School, Richard Louv, Maggie Dent, Alfie Kohn, and so many more who are all leaders in their field.

Author –

Leanne

B (ed) (EC)

Director

Wild Gully Therapy & Nature Play