Raising Hardy Children

Abstract

The nature of the interaction between parents and their young is very important, as hardiness has been shown to be learned. As to the hardy attitudes, socially supportive interactions lead to a sense of commitment, early environments permitting mastery lead to a sense of control, and ongoing changes construed as richness of experience lead to a sense of challenge. As to the hardy strategies of action, an emphasis on recognizing and solving problems leads to hardy coping, an emphasis on supportive interactions leads to hardy social support, and an emphasis on what one needs leads to hardy self-care. In all this, parents need to admire, respect, and love their young.