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6 Ways to Build Resilience in Black Youth

2/15/2021

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Resilience is the ability to overcome difficulties and adapt to changes in life. For example, many Black kids and their families may have experienced difficulties related to COVID-19 but they have been able to maintain their emotional and psychological health despite these difficulties. Several different types of resilience have been described including psychological, emotional, and community.

Black History Month and Resilience

Black History Month is an important moment to celebrate the legacy and contributions of Black people to society. Some scholars [1] have described how Black history knowledge (BHK) helps “foster psychological liberation - healthy functioning characterized by a conceptual shift from a narrative rooted only in oppression to a narrative that acknowledges the strengths, accomplishments, and creativity of Black people throughout their history”. Furthermore, BHK can provide Black youth with knowledge of the historical experiences of Black people in America to provide them with a healthier identity and it can help promote resilience [1].

6 Ways to Build Resilience in Black Youth

Although being resilient doesn’t prevent children and teens from experiencing emotional difficulties in the face of negative life events. Research demonstrates that resilience helps to reduce risk and promote healthy development. Below are a few tips from the American Psychological Association.

Make connections: Teach your child the importance of engaging and connecting with their peers, including the skill of empathy and listening to others. This is extremely important given some limitations due to the pandemic. Find ways to help children foster connectivity by suggesting they connect to friends and family through phone, video chats, and texts. Connecting with others provides social support and strengthens resilience.
Maintain a daily routine: Sticking to a routine can be comforting to children, especially younger children who crave structure in their lives. Work with your child to develop a routine, and highlight times that are for school, work, and play. Particularly during times of distress or transition, you might need to be flexible with some routines. At the same time, schedules and consistency are important to maintain.
Teach your child self-care: Teach your child the importance of basic self-care. This may be making more time to eat properly, exercise, and get sufficient sleep. Make sure your child has time to have fun, and participate in activities they enjoy. Caring for oneself and even having fun will help children stay balanced and better deal with stressful times.
Nurture a positive self-view: Help your child remember ways they have successfully handled hardships in the past and help them understand that these past challenges help build the strength to handle future challenges. Help your child learn to trust themselves to solve problems and make appropriate decisions. At school, help children see how their individual accomplishments contribute to the wellbeing of the class as a whole.
Keep things in perspective: Even when your child is facing very painful events such as COVID-19, help them look at the situation in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective. Although your child may be too young to consider a long-term look on their own, help them see that there is a future beyond the current situation and that the future can be good. A positive outlook can help children to see the good things in life and keep going even in the hardest times.
Accept change: Change can be scary for children and teens. Help your child see that change is part of life and new goals can replace goals that have become unattainable. It is important to examine what is going well, and to have a plan of action for what is not going well. In school, point out how students have changed as they moved up in grade levels and discuss how that change has had an impact on the students.

Written by Erlanger “Earl” Turner, Ph.D.

Source:

[1] Chapman-Hilliard, C., & Adams-Bass, V. (2016). A conceptual framework for utilizing Black history knowledge as a path to psychological liberation for Black youth. Journal of Black Psychology, 42(6), 479-507.

Note: This blog was previously published for Psychology Today

Coping with the stress of parenting

2/8/2021

Black parents and grandparents are especially vulnerable to the psychological stress associated with daily events that affect their lives [1]. According to some research [1], “assuming these responsibilities in a household where only one parent is present and being the head of the household can be stressful”. Given the potential stress, it is important that Black parents take care of themselves. In this tool kit from the American Psychological Association, tips are offered on racial stress and self-care.

What is Parenting Stress?
Parenting stress has been defined as a negative psychological response due to being a parent or caring for a child as a result of everyday events such as feeding, bathing, or managing behavior problems [2]. Parenting stress may be experienced by all parents, but research has shown that parenting stress can be more severe for parents of children who display difficult and challenging behaviors like hyperactivity, temper tantrums, non-compliance, or conduct problems.

Coping with Parenting Stress

In a previous blog for Psychology Today, 4 tips for managing parenting stress were discussed:

1. Seek professional help
If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, seek professional help from a psychologist or licensed mental health professional. Psychologists can be helpful to provide strategies to help you cope with life’s challenges. Additionally, they may be able to provide you with resources to help improve your child’s functioning and decrease problem behaviors that may increase parenting stress.

2. Increase quality time with family
Find ways to do enjoyable activities with you and your family. By spending more quality time together, it improves the parent-child relationship. Furthermore, it is not helpful to overly focus on everything that is not going well in your child’s life. Even though it may be difficult to incorporate extracurricular activities into the family’s schedule, consider being creative by having a family game night or engage in other activities that your child enjoys.

3. Make time for yourself
Many parents of children with special needs or mental health conditions have a hard time taking a break. This may be partly due to the time required to care for your child. However, many also feel they need permission to have some alone time. It is okay to take a break for yourself. It’s actually healthy and more beneficial for you and your child to have some time apart.

4. Use your support systems
It is extremely important to make use of your support systems. Having social support is very helpful to decreasing parenting stress. For example, if extended family is available ask them to provide child care for a few hours during the week so you can engage in self-care. Support systems may also be helpful to provide an avenue for you to talk with others about how they cope with being a parent. It is always good to hear how others have addressed a problem or find that you are not alone.

Written by Erlanger “Earl” Turner, Ph.D.

Sources:
[1] Taylor, J. Y., Washington, O. G., Artinian, N. T., & Lichtenberg, P. (2007). Parental stress among African American parents and grandparents. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 28(4), 373-387.
[2] Barroso, N. E., Mendez, L., Graziano, P. A., & Bagner, D. M. (2018). Parenting stress through the lens of different clinical groups: A systematic review & meta-analysis. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 46(3), 449-461.

6 Ways to Build Resilience in Black Youth

Coping with the stress of parenting

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