🌱 Building Resilience Through Everyday Schoolyard Moments 

A guide for parents, inspired by The Resilience Project 

Children face challenges in the schoolyard every day — from disagreements with friends to feeling left out. These moments, while tough, are also powerful opportunities for growth. With guidance and support, children can learn skills in gratitude, empathy, mindfulness, and emotional regulation that help them bounce back and restore relationships. 

Here are five common schoolyard scenarios and ways parents can help: 

1️⃣ Being Left Out of a Game 

Scenario: Your child feels sad after not being included in play.  How to Support: 

• Listen and validate: “That must have been hard.” 
• Encourage empathy: Ask, “Have you ever seen someone else left out?” 
• Practise gratitude: Focus on friends and times they are included. 
• Role-play joining in: “Can I play next time?” 

2️⃣ Argument with a Friend 

Scenario: Your child argues with a friend about game rules.  How to Support: 

• Encourage calm: Practise deep breaths before reacting. 
• Build perspective: “What do you think your friend wanted?” 
• Highlight gratitude: Recall positive moments in the friendship. 
• Problem-solve: “Next time, let’s agree on rules before we start.” 

3️⃣ Losing a Competition 

Scenario: Your child feels disappointed after losing a race or game.  How to Support: 

• Validate: “It’s okay to feel sad — that means you tried your best.” 
• Use mindfulness: Notice how disappointment feels in the body, then calm with breathing. 
• Reframe: “What’s one thing you enjoyed or learned?” 
• Encourage empathy: Celebrate others’ efforts with a simple, “Well done!” 

4️⃣ Being Teased 

Scenario: Your child is teased about their clothes, abilities, or interests.  How to Support: 

• Listen calmly and reassure: It’s not their fault. 
• Role-play responses: “I don’t like it when you say that.” 
• Build empathy: Discuss why someone might tease. 
• Restore relationships: Encourage seeking help from teachers and choosing respectful friendships. 

5️⃣ Accidentally Hurting Someone Else 

Scenario: Your child bumps into a peer and the friend gets upset.  How to Support: 

• Encourage ownership: “Even if it was an accident, how can you make it right?” 
• Build empathy: “How do you think they felt?” 
• Practise mindfulness: Slow down and notice surroundings. 
• Restore relationships: Role-play saying sorry and checking in: “Are you okay?” 

🌟 Final Thought 

Everyday challenges are not setbacks — they are teachable moments. By supporting children with empathy, gratitude, and mindfulness, parents can help them develop resilience and learn how to repair and strengthen their friendships.