Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
Education
Raising resilient kids
Excerpts from article by Julia Pelly, published in time.com
Resiliency is the ability to bounce back from tough experiences and has been a buzzword during the pandemic as parents wonder how months of isolation, anxiety and boredom will impact their children in the long term. Resiliency is a skill that can be learned, practised and developed as kids grow. It happens over time through dynamic parent-child interactions, as parents make intentional decisions based on what abilities they desire to see their children exhibit over time.
Luckily, there are things parents can do to help their kids protect themselves against the negative effects of stressful times:
1. Be intentional
Parents often have an idea of the kind of person they want their child to be when they reach adulthood. Whether a strong work ethic, kind personality or positive outlook on life is highest on a parent’s wish list for their child, a guiding philosophy can help parents make choices that will move their child in that direction. They can make day-to-day parenting decisions that will help their child build resilience.
2. Teach kids to recognise and name their feelings
When kids can effectively recognise and name their emotions, they’re able to connect those emotions to specific strategies that will help them move forward in a healthy way. Emotional management is a key aspect of resilience. Parents can start when their kids are as young as toddlers by pointing out facial expressions and physical reactions and tying them to specific feelings. As kids mature, parents can continue to help their child identify the emotions they’re experiencing as a first step in brainstorming a response.
3. Foster supportive relationships
Positive relationships often serve as a buffer for the rough stuff in life. Parents can teach kids about relationships by talking about how they choose friends, how they act as a good friend and how they handle conflict. And when parents have these types of relationships themselves, children notice. It’s also important to try to model the sort of relationship you want them to have.
4. Teach kids to ask for help
A resilient person doesn’t always bounce back from tough situations all by themselves. Asking for help is critical, and it doesn’t always come naturally, especially for kids. Asking for help and support is an important skill for kids and adults, but it can feel hard to ask for help for a variety of reasons. Parents can help kids learn to ask for help by modeling what that looks like in their life, being open about times they’ve needed support and being receptive and supportive when kids come to them for help.
5. Help children develop a range of coping strategies
It’s good to have one strategy to help you feel better when you’re experiencing uncomfortable emotions, but it’s even better to have a whole range of strategies in case one is not working or not possible. Parents can offer suggestions like taking deep breaths, talking with a friend or going for a walk.
6. Give kids a chance to practise their life skills
Every parent wants to protect their children from the hard things in the world and while that’s understandable, protecting them from every hard thing doesn’t allow them to develop and practice the skills they need to be resilient or effectively navigate life’s challenges. While it might be tempting for parents to help their children, parents should consider the skills their child won’t get a chance to practise if they step in every time.
Career
Freelancing: the new normal
Excerpts from article published by the India Today Web Desk
With jobs facing all the strain, the trend of freelancing is picking up at a rapid pace. The digital transformation has created a huge demand for highly technical and new-age technology experts. The perks of working from home have also given rise to opportunities for workers to manage their life better.
Let’s take a look at some aspects to consider of you’re thinking of making a career as a freelancer:
1. Flexibility Vs Perks
While there may be more flexibility in freelance working models, they usually come with lesser benefits than on-roll fulltime jobs. Freelancers have to take care of their medical insurance and retirement schemes on their own. They also do not get any sabbaticals, maternity or paternity leaves. However, they get to be their own boss and have control over how they schedule their work.
2. Stability and struggle
Freelancers can only predict the projects they have in hand. There is no guarantee of the next project while several times freelancers work simultaneously on multiple projects. The income of freelancers keeps fluctuating and their main struggle comes in finding projects relevant to their skills to create a stable stream of income.
3. Sense of ownership and freedom
Freelancing comes with a complete sense of ownership and freedom. The flexibility to scheduling work gives freelancers a chance to be their own boss. With autonomy in their roles, these professionals have the authority to make decisions without needing the consent of any team leader or supervisor. Professionals with high technical and creative skills enjoy the freedom of working from the comfort of wherever they like to – and whenever they like.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
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