What is Family Resilience?
“Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or even significant sources of stress – such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, poverty or workplace and financial stressors.” 1
When we are resilient we can bounce back from difficult or challenging experiences instead of allowing them to hurt us, stop us from functioning or trigger harmful behaviour.
Determining factors of internal family resilience can be:
- Good communication
- Clear boundaries
- Good problem solving skills
- Extended family and friends with these skills
- Ability to show affection and share humour
- Spiritual or religious ties in the community 2
Why does Children Without Poverty work to “Build Family Resilience”?
Building family resilience creates protection against what stress or catastrophe may be around the corner by helping all members to survive and thrive despite those challenges. Resilience will support the family as they move out of ‘high risk’ situations and learn to make better decisions about their lives and their future.
Other benefits of family resilience include:
- Mentoring good decision making skills for children
- Helping families cope with change
- Preventing the continuing downward spiral into homelessness
- Assisting in the development of strong and healthy children
- Bolstering pride and self esteem as family members contribute to their communities
- Creating expectations of hope, caring, support and participation