ABSTRACT
This chapter looks how mental toughness can support the development of young children and the positive intentions that parents can have for their children. Emotional development—babies are programmed to seek out the things they need by crying. As they mature, children's emotional capabilities expand to allow them to develop skills that will serve them in adulthood. Cognitive development and changes in children aren't so easy to spot as this is about how their brains are developing and understanding the world around them, including memory, reasoning, problem-solving, and thinking. By developing their own levels of self-awareness, parents can understand how they influence their children and be conscious of the pressures and expectations that they are putting on their children. Parents need to look after themselves in terms of their general fitness, wellbeing and energy levels, and this is especially important when there are the demands of work to manage as well as children.
