Chaplains Spot
Raising Resilient Kids
Over the last 18 years I have attended some excellent training days, especially on mental health and resilience. I recently started re-reading the above book, which has wonderful input from several well-known and widely admired mental health experts. There are 9 chapters/contributors, and these include Michael Carr-Gregg, Hugh van Cuylenburg, Susan McLean, Sharon Witt and Michael Grose.
I contacted Sharon Witt, who wrote for, and also edited this book, and she has given permission for me to share some quotes from it. I recommend it as a very beneficial resource for your family.
In this newsletter, I would like to share some thoughts from Michael Carr-Gregg, who is one of Australia’s highest profile adolescent and child psychologists. His wisdom has been greatly appreciated by thousands of people, in his various areas of service to the community.
His chapter is ‘How to build happy and resilient children.” Here are his 5 major traits of resilient children: 1] Charismatic adult – a person with whom children identify, and from whom they gather strength. They convey love and acceptance, and are willing to advocate especially in times of need.
2] Positive self-talk – this makes people feel good about themselves, whatever is going on in their lives.
3] Social-emotional competencies – these skills help children to manage themselves, relate to others, resolve conflict, and feel positive about themselves and the world around them.
4] Islands of Competence – self-esteem comes from developing capabilities in art/music/dance/ drama or sport, and in the process, they learn the importance of practice and persistence.
5] Spirituality – a sense of connectedness or relatedness to something/someone that transcends the material world. It can increase mental health, self-esteem, help with one’s search for meaning in life, improve relationships, reduce risk-taking behaviour, and provide a moral compass to help navigate life.
Michael then finishes off this chapter with his ‘Top Two Parenting Tips’
1] Give them Vitamin ‘N’. Their brains are not equipped to make major decisions. That’s your job. If you don’t they will feel a sense of bewilderment and inner disorder.
2] Set limits and boundaries – they need help to moderate the rate of change to independence.
The 7 C’s of Resilience:
To cultivate resilience in your life, it's important to apply the principles of the 7 Cs:
Competence – Confidence – Connection – Character – Contribution – Coping and Control.
Here is a great winter to spring image. This can be a helpful perspective as we look at resilience, bouncing back from difficulties – spring breaks through the harsh cold winter every year. The other quote I also find beneficial. It is in my kitbag of resources for students.
Fun Facts for kids (of all ages):
1] The hottest place on Earth is Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California, USA, where a temperature of 56.7°C was recorded on 10 July 1913.
2] The world record for the coldest temperature was at Vostok Station, Antarctica, on 21 July 1983. The temperature was -89.4°C
3] It takes eight minutes and 19 seconds for light to travel from the Sun to Earth [93 million miles/149 million kilometres].
4] Earth is not shaped like a perfect sphere! It bulges out at the equator making it look more like a “squished ball”.
Toast Tuesday: Our free Toast Tuesday program runs from 8.30 until start of school.
Our second-hand uniform stock is also available for gold coin donations.
Contact: Feel free to email me, phone me or see me at school on my days listed below.
Alan Silverwood: Chaplain - Pastoral care for our community. [Tuesday, Friday]
[alan.silverwood@education.vic.gov.au] Supporting the School community in emotional, social, spiritual and practical wellbeing.
Our Chaplaincy program is funded by the Federal Government’s ‘National Student Wellbeing Program’, the GRPS School Council and donations.