Follow Ups, Suggestions and Take Aways from Glenbard Parent Series eventswith Dr. Ken Ginsburg on November 17 & 18
At last weeks GPS Dr Ginsberg discussed the 7 C's (listed
below) which are the essential building blocks of resilience. Also below is a suggestion from Dr Christine Carter with a
suggestion on how to foster family conncetion. Share a story from your family history.
The Seven Cs: Building Blocks of Resilience
Bottom Line #1:
Young people live up or down to expectations we set for them. They
need adults who believe in them unconditionally and hold them to the high
expectations oding blocks of resilience. f being compassionate, generous, and
creative.
Competence: When we notice what young people are doing right and give them
opportunities to develop important skills, they feel competent. We undermine
competence when we don't allow young people to recover themselves after a fall.
Confidence: Young people need confidence to be able to navigate the world, think
outside the box, and recover from challenges.
Connection: Connections with other people, schools, and communities offer young
people the security that allows them to stand on their own and develop creative
solutions.
Character: Young people need a clear sense of right and wrong and a commitment
to integrity.
Contribution: Young people who contribute to the well-being of others will receive
gratitude rather than condemnation. They will learn that contributing feels good
and may therefore more easily turn to others, and do so without
shame.
Coping: Young people who possess a variety of healthy coping strategies will
be less likely to turn to dangerous quick fixes when stressed.
Control: Young people who understand privileges and respect are earned
through demonstrated responsibility will learn to make wise choices and feel a
sense of control.
Bottom Line #2:
What we do to model healthy resilience strategies for our children is
more important than anything we say about them.
Christine Carter's Tip: Tell a Story from Your Family
History
Here's a way to foster family connection: Share a story
from your family history. It doesn't even have to be a good
story!
Research shows that one way people foster happiness is by
creating a particular type of narrative about their history, one that
demonstrates that family members have been through both good and bad times
together, but through it all they've stuck together.
Kids who know a lot about their family history--the parts
that they didn't experience themselves, but that were passed down to them
through stories--feel that they are a part of something much larger than
themselves. This, in turn, gives kids enormous emotional benefits according to
researchers Marshall Duke, Amber Lazarus and Robyn Fivush. These benefits
include:
- a greater sense of control over their lives;
- higher self-esteem; better family functioning;
- greater family cohesiveness;
- lower levels of anxiety;
- fewer behavior problems.
In fact, in Duke, Lazarus, and Fivush's research, knowledge
of family narrative was more strongly associated with children's emotional
well-being than any other factor. (Read more about this research here.)
So one way to foster family happiness is to make time for
family conversations. Why not start this week? To help, I've created this list
of 20 Questions to Ask at a Family
Dinner.
Community Take Aways from Ken Ginsburg Event
On November 17, Ken Ginsburg, MD was the featured speaker at a Glenbard Parent
 |
David Majewski (left)
and Ken Ginsburg, MD |
Series program
at the College of DuPage MAC. Glenbard West parent David Majewski shared the
following takeaway from the program titled Helping Kids Thrive: Mastering
the Tools to Succeed in a High Pressure Culture:
"I enjoyed the
suggestions about "lighthouse parenting," which focuses on the
relationship. Not having all the answers with your kids but problem solving
with them as they face things. Make sure your children know they are loved
unconditionally. Hold them to high expectations. Help them to be their personal
best. Success is not defined by a grade - the goal is to have your child become
a successful 35-year-old adult. Praise effort over results. Strive to strike a
balance between protection and guidance. Guard against raising children who are
afraid to experience failure; it is what creates their ability to bounce back.
Model healthy ways to deal with stress, such as exercise, good nutrition and
sleep."
 |
| Jay Wojcik & Ken Ginsburg, MD |
On November 18,
Jay Wojcik attended our Youth Leaders Community Forum and Glenbard Parent
Series presentation about resilience by Ken Ginsburg, MD and shared the
following takeaway: "This was one fantastic presentation. "Lighthouse
parenting" is an effective, pragmatic approach to developing young people.
It is a great guide for all those who live with and work with young people. I
especially enjoyed the doctor's remarks about the importance of exercise,
nutrition and sleep as a way of helping to develop a resilient teen-ager. We
know exercise is one of the best stress-busting strategies available. It
enhances sleep and concentration, which is key to learning. And exercise is
especially critical for students with ADHD, depression and anxiety. This
translates beautifully to our work with younger children, which is the main
focus of Healthy Lombard."
