Tag Archive for: Jordyn Bryant

Building Resilience in Your Child

, ,

By Jordyn Bryant, MSW, LSW – March 13, 2026 –

Today’s children are growing up in a world that rarely slows down. Screens glow late into the evening, schedules stay packed, and social pressures begin earlier than ever.

Many children are navigating constant input – academically, socially, and digitally, and their nervous systems often feel the impact. It is no surprise that we are seeing more anxiety, irritability, low frustration tolerance, and big emotional reactions from kids. When children are overstimulated, even small disappointments can feel overwhelming. The good news is that resilience is not something a child either has or does not have. It is a skill set, and skill sets can be learned, practiced, and strengthened over time.

Emotional resilience is a child’s ability to manage big feelings, adapt to change, recover from setbacks, solve problems, and continue trying, even after disappointment. Resilient children are not children who never struggle. They are children who learn that struggle is manageable and temporary. They trust that hard feelings will pass, and they have the tools and support to get through challenges.

Here’s how parents and caregivers can help a child build resilience:

1. Connect Before You Correct – When emotions run high, connection lowers defenses. Before addressing behavior, acknowledge the feelings below the surface. Simple phrases like “I can see you’re frustrated,” or “That felt really hard,” help children feel understood. Validation does not mean agreement; it means recognizing their internal experience. A regulated child learns better than a reprimanded one. When children feel safe, they are more open to guidance and problem-solving.

2. Teach Emotional Language – Children cannot regulate what they cannot name. Help them move beyond “mad” or “fine” by identifying feelings such as disappointed, embarrassed, overwhelmed, jealous, nervous, or left out. Expanding emotional vocabulary builds self-awareness and reduces intensity. You might say, “It sounds like you felt left out when that happened,” giving them language for their experience. Over time, this awareness becomes the foundation for self-control.

3. Normalize Mistakes and Setbacks – In a high-pressure world, many children fear failure. Instead of rushing to fix problems or minimize disappointment, guide reflection. Ask questions like, “What could we try next time?” or “What did you learn from this?” When adults respond calmly to mistakes, children learn that failure is information, not identity. Resilience grows when children experience manageable challenges and discover they can move through them.

4. Create Predictable Calm – In an overstimulated environment, children need rhythms that feel safe. Consistent bedtime routines, screen-free family time, outdoor play, and moments without background noise help regulate the nervous system. Predictability reduces anxiety and creates space for emotional recovery. Even small rituals, such as reading together at night or sharing highs and lows at dinner, anchor children in stability.

5. Model Healthy Regulation – Children “borrow our calm” and our coping skills. When adults say, “I’m feeling overwhelmed, so I’m going to take a deep breath,” it demonstrates that emotions are normal and manageable. Modeling repair is powerful too. Saying, “I raised my voice earlier, and I’m sorry,” teaches accountability and emotional safety.

We cannot remove all stress from our children’s lives, nor should we. Learning to handle challenges is part of growing. What children need most is not perfection, but relationships. When a child knows they are seen, heard, and supported, they develop the confidence to face difficulty. In a world full of noise and pressure, a steady, connected adult is the greatest source of strength. Resilience is not built in big, dramatic moments. It is built through everyday conversations, small repairs, consistent presence, and the quiet reassurance that they are not alone.

Jordyn Bryant, MSW, LSW, is a Youth First Mental Health Professional at Stringtown Elementary School in Vanderburgh County. Youth First, Inc., is a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening youth and families. Youth First provides over 100 highly trained mental health professionals (primarily master’s level social workers), prevention programs, parent engagement coordinators, and bilingual support personnel to 130 schools across 14 Indiana counties. Over 55,000 youth and families each year are served by Youth First’s school-based social work and community programs that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and maximize student success. To learn more about Youth First, visit youthfirstinc.org or call 812-421-8336.

/by

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

, ,

By Jordyn Bryant, MSW, LSW – December 5, 2024 –

As the saying goes, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” the holiday season. Holidays can bring joy, happiness, and special times. But for so many people, the holidays can bring sad feelings and emotions to the surface, such as grief, loss, and loneliness, as well as mental health concerns and financial concerns.

Regardless of our opinions surrounding the holiday season, it is important to remember to take care of ourselves and our needs during this busy time. According to UC Davis Health, there are many different strategies we can employ to reduce stress during this time.

First, it’s important to enjoy family on our own terms and respect each other’s boundaries. Have a plan in place if you need space from your family, whether it is finding quiet time in another room, having someone you can call for a few minutes to talk, or leaving altogether. It is okay to take time for yourself, even if the belief is that holidays are meant to be spent with others.

Prioritize yourself and your health, mental and physical. Don’t overschedule yourself to please others. Maintain healthy habits. Make sure you get enough sleep, eat the things that are best for your body, and attempt some type of movement every day. Write down what you have planned, decide if it is too much for you, and eliminate some activities if necessary.

When giving gifts during the holiday season, the amount of money spent is not what is important. Give what is within your budget. A small, homemade gift is just as special as the newest, biggest, “must have” item. You can show you care about someone without putting yourself in a tight financial situation. As they say, “It’s the thought that counts.”

Lastly, if you are alone, please reach out to someone. Send a message to a friend or family member for support. If you are in crisis, help is available by calling or texting 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Hotline.

During this time when it’s easy to get overwhelmed by shopping, events, and long to-do lists, let’s prioritize ourselves this holiday season.

/by

Mindfulness Can Help Your Child Handle Stress

, ,

By Jordyn Bryant, MSW, LSW – October 2, 2024 –

Having stress or anxiety as a child can be hard. Often, children hear, “You are too young to have stress” or other statements that dismiss their feelings. Recognizing that children can have negative emotions about things adults consider “small” or “trivial” can help children validate their feelings and begin to cope with them to regulate their emotions.

One healthy coping mechanism is mindfulness.

According to understood.org, practicing mindfulness can ease feelings of stress and anxiety. Mindfulness is the practice of staying in the moment, which helps children and adults identify how they are feeling right then and how they can adjust to a more neutral thought or feeling.

Often when we are thinking of something, we tend to think of how it played out in the past or how it can play out in the future. When we stay in the moment, it helps to focus on what can help now instead of what hurt us in the past or what could go wrong in the future.

A big part of mindfulness is focusing on your breathing. When your thoughts begin to go elsewhere, focus on how your breathing feels to bring you back into the present,  recognizing and acknowledging how you feel in the moment. When children learn this, they are better able to practice self-control and strengthen their resiliency. According to mindful.org, studies show that the benefits of mindfulness for children are:

  • Increased focus
  • Improved academic performance
  • Decreased levels of stress

Working on these things can bolster confidence and improve emotional regulation and the overall well-being of a child’s mental health.

As adults, the more we practice and model mindfulness ourselves, the more we can help our children learn. It is important to recognize the feelings in ourselves and our children. Recognizing that having feelings is okay – even the ones that do not feel so good – is a way to have a healthy emotional balance. Being mentally and emotionally healthy can create positive changes in life, including our physical health, creating stronger families, and having more positive social skills. You can practice mindfulness in everyday life, even when you do not have time for 20-30 minutes of breathing and yoga.

Some examples are:

  • Practicing gratitude
  • Checking in with your body
  • Utilizing your 5 senses
  • Focusing on your breathing
  • Practicing active listening

Practicing mindfulness and helping children practice mindfulness sets us up for success in different aspects of our lives. You will be amazed to recognize the changes that come with being in the “here and now” vs. thinking about the unknowns and the “should haves.”

/by