Prosilience

The Importance of Prosilience

In life we are given a range of different challenges and we must not only overcome them but find ways to make the most of them. What does this mean for your family and your child? You and your family may encounter changes like the beginning of kindergarten, the start of school, birth of children, separation or moving to new house/location. As a family you have probably had some apprehensions on the prospect of your child starting a kindergarten in a new language and possibly a new country. It is important to help your child settle into a new and foreign environment but also succeed within it.

When a child has the capacity to develop prosilience it is easier to demonstrate autonomy, social competence, problem solving skills and to understand surrounding situations (Bernard, 1995). Working closely with the educators in your child’s kindergarten towards prosilience will help the child feel confident and more in control of their new environment and be able to understand their situation better. Researchers have suggested that the first six years of life have a particular positive impact on the development of the child’s prosilience (Hoopes, 2017). On entering a new challenge in kindergarten, the child has the potential for a positive resource that will serve them throughout their whole life.