Tara M. Sjuts

Understanding and Promoting the Development of Resilience in Families

Children spend the majority of their early lives within the context of the family. As the composition of the family system continues to change, the caregivers’ role has become increasingly important in fostering healthy developmental trajectories for their children. Family relationships and interaction styles are central to developing competence and promoting adaptive educational, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Clearly, families serve a primary role in their children’s development. Families give a child an informal education (Turnbull, Turnbull, Erwin, & Soodak, 2006), which is considered a prerequisite for successful experiences in the classroom (Adams & Christenson, 2000). Whereas the school environment sets up developmental tasks for students, the family serves as an important resource for the acquisition of these developmental tasks (Stevenson & Baker, 1987). Parents are considered to be providers of linguistic and social capital by presenting their child with learning experiences from early childhood through adult years. Such experiences consist of (a) exposing a child to ideas and activities that promote the acquisition of knowledge; (b) assisting in the socialization of gender, cultural, and peer roles; (c) establishing standards, expectations, and rules; and (d) delivering rewards and praise (Clark, 1988). Parents also play an important role in the development of children’s behavioral, social, and emotional skills. Parents can teach their children appropriate behaviors through everyday interactions and strategies, such as providing positive attention, encouragement, and praise; setting clear and consistent limits; using natural and logical consequences for inappropriate behavior; and teaching problem-solving skills, social skills, and emotion regulation skills (Webster-Stratton, 2005).