ABSTRACT
Parents serve as a child’s first coach in the vital area and make the difference between the child developing a strong level of resiliency or being vulnerable to life’s chaotic whims with few emotional resources to draw on for support. Focusing on teaching self-efficacy skills, developing autonomy and discernment, building supportive relationships, and managing emotional reactivity are all things that can assist the introverted child in developing resiliency. The inclusion of choice enables the introverted child to exert some level of control over his surroundings, increasing resiliency. Resiliency typically encompasses three distinct attributes, including one’s belief that he or she has some autonomy over the environment, the ability to build meaningful connections, and mastery over one’s emotions. Resiliency develops when children feel safe in their environment. Optimism, or the ability to see the positives in life, factors greatly in the development of autonomy over one’s environment.
