• What Is Inner Strength?
• Health Tools
• What Gives a Child Inner Strength?
• How Can You Help Children Build Inner Strength?
• How Can You Help Teens Build Inner Strength?
• What Barriers Can Affect Inner Strength?
• Related Information
• References
• Credits

What Is Inner Strength?

Inner strength, often called "resilience," is the ability to cope with the stressful situations that life throws at us.

Building inner strength begins with simple actions or thoughts that your child practices, such as planning for what to do next and learning to accept change. Inner strength can help a child face problems. Children who are resilient:

• Are more likely to grow into healthy, happy adults, even in the face of poverty, divorce, or family tragedy.
• Are better able to stand up to peer pressure so they can avoid using drugs, drinking alcohol, and smoking.
• Are better able to resist messages in the media that tell them to be or look a certain way.
• Feel confident when meeting new people.
• Like to do nice things for others.
• Are loving and lovable.
• Are optimistic about life.

Children often surprise us with how resilient they are. But there is much you can do as a parent to help your young child or your teenager grow stronger.

By working to develop a child's inner strength, you are giving that child the emotional and mental tools needed to stay healthy and happy throughout life.