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November 2024
LCRG in the community
We had a great turnout for our LCRG Fall Forum, Gearing Up: Preparing Girls to Weather Storms, sponsored by the Laurel School Parents Association. Though we may want to protect our daughters from life’s storms, life challenges are inevitable and are often the best teachers. The LCRG team created the acronym G.E.A.R. to identify four key components of fostering girls’ resilience in the face of adversity: Goal, Equipment, Agency, and Relationships. By using the G.E.A.R. framework—focusing on setting goals, equipping her with self-care and problem-solving tools, fostering agency, and strengthening relationships—you’ll help your daughter face life’s difficulties with confidence and resilience.
Goal: Identifying opportunities the storm could provide
Parents can consider the stakes of the situation and what skills they hope their daughter will grow in working through the challenges at hand. In some situations, parents can let their child experience the natural consequences of an unwise decision of a lack of action without rushing to “rescue”, while at other times the stakes require more parental guidance or involvement. Parents can help their children to calm emotions by pausing their own reactions to thoughtfully consider what conversations and interventions are warranted, keeping in mind the goal of gearing them up rather than solving the problem for them.
Equipment: Self-care and creativity
These two pillars of LCRG’s Framework of Resilience are at play when a young person experiences stressful situations. Proactive attention toward your daughter’s physical and emotional health shields her from a typical rainy day feeling like a typhoon. Creativity is about thinking outside the box, so when she feels emotionally “stuck” help her to brainstorm what might help. Remind your child that multiple methods can be employed to solve a problem. It removes the pressure she may be placing on herself to make the “right” choice in a situation.
Agency: Fostering independence
Allowing your daughter to take ownership of her challenges empowers her to grow and build confidence in her ability to handle life’s ups and downs. Encourage “glorious failure”, reminding her that making mistakes is okay and often leads to valuable learning opportunities. To practice mini acts of agency, provide clear, manageable options to help her make decisions without feeling overwhelmed. When your daughter feels trusted to navigate her own challenges, she develops greater self-efficacy and a deeper belief in her ability to overcome obstacles.
Relationships: The foundation of resilience
A supportive network of trusted adults and peers provides your daughter with a safety net, helping her bounce back from adversity. Research shows that children with at least one trusted adult at home and school are more motivated to engage in learning, have higher self-esteem, experience lower levels of stress, and are less likely to engage in risky behaviors. Encourage your daughter to build and nurture positive relationships with teachers, coaches, friends, and family members. These connections offer emotional support and guidance during challenging times, giving her the strength to persevere.
School Spotlight
Civil Discourse during the election
Laurel School utilizes LCRG’s building blocks of Civil Discourse as a framework for helping individuals navigate challenging conversations and differing viewpoints. During this election season, Laurel faculty used these building blocks - extending empathy, accepting discomfort, braving controversy, cultivating curiosity, taking perspective, and engaging effectively - to guide discourse among students. Laurel School’s nonpartisan student election committee also incorporated the components of Civil Discourse into sharing information and guiding conversation this fall and will hold space for discussion using these tenets in the weeks following the election.
International Day of the Girl Child recap
On October 11, Laurel School celebrated the United Nations’ International Day of the Girl Child with a full day of programming modeled around LCRG’s five pillars of resilience. Highlights of the day included a panel discussion planned and moderated by students featuring Laurel alumnae and Laurel parents representing a variety of careers, a student-led interview with LCRG Co-Founder Dr. Lisa Damour to discuss her contributions to Pixar’s Inside Out 2, and rotating sessions focused on creativity, purpose, and self-care.
Upcoming Events
Later this month, the LCRG team will present at a one-day professional learning program through the International Coalition of Girls Schools (ICGS) for girls’ schools educators and students across Northern Ireland. The presentation will share LCRG’s five-part formula for building resilience in girls of all ages.
Want more LCRG content?
LCRG’s original content Research Briefs and summaries of our academic journal publications are available for free to members of the Laurel School community and for purchase in our online store to others. Topics range from pedagogy to social-emotional learning and include research references and additional resources for parents, students, and educators.
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