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Value of the Month: Resilience

In today’s ever-changing world, education is no longer confined to academic learning alone. It also includes developing essential life skills to cope with various challenges. Meritton British International School (MBIS) recognizes the paramount importance of this, which is why we have designated “Resilience” as our “Value of the Month.” We define it as the ability to “bounce back” from failure or disappointment. This means not only enduring physical hardships but also having the mental strength to help children recover quickly from emotional and mental obstacles, whether it’s disappointment from an exam, a conflict with a friend, or not succeeding at a task.

Value of the Month: Resilience is the Heart of Learning and Life

In a message from our Head of School, they emphasized that failure is not the end, but merely the beginning of a valuable life lesson. As Nelson Mandela once said, “Do not judge me by my successes, but by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” At Meritton British International School, we continuously instill this concept in our students. We believe that accepting mistakes is part of the learning process, and it is our response to those mistakes that will determine our true success in the future. Teaching children to be resilient is not just preparing them for an exam; it’s preparing them for life itself. You can read more about our core principles in our Vision and Mission section.

7 Tips from Meritton British International School for Building Resilience in Your Child

Parents and teachers play a vital role in helping students develop this crucial value. Meritton recommends these 7 simple methods, which can be adapted into everyone’s daily lives. They are compiled from the latest research and are practices we continuously implement at our school as part of our Values-based Education. :

1. Assign responsibilities: Letting children do things on their own, such as tidying up toys or helping with small chores, will help them feel a sense of ownership and appreciate the value of their own efforts.
2. Let your child decide: Give children opportunities to make small decisions, such as choosing clothes to wear or what to have for dinner. This trains them to have the courage to make decisions and accept the consequences.
3. Let your child solve problems on their own: When a non-serious problem arises, let children try to find a solution themselves first. Facing small challenges helps build patience and perseverance without adults immediately intervening.
4. Be a good role model: Children are great imitators. When adults show that they can handle mistakes calmly, children will learn and internalize that behavior to use themselves.
5. Explore feelings: Acknowledging your child’s feelings without judgment, such as listening when they feel sad or angry, will help them learn to manage their complex emotions better.
6. Let them be bored: Having an overly packed schedule or too much screen time prevents children from exercising their imagination and learning how to manage boredom, a crucial skill for a creative life.
7. Cultivate a “Growth Mindset”: Teach children to believe they can improve themselves by valuing effort and self-improvement over achieving a perfect result on the first try.

Meritton British International School strives to be more than just an educational institution; we are a second home that nurtures students to grow into capable adults, ready to face any life challenge with strength and resilience. To see our values in action, you can visit Our Values Gallery.