Every year, we read articles which say that a girl/boy from a small village whose parents couldn’t provide basics for their child, have cracked the IAS exam or have become a CA or cracked IITs and IIMs. We see such examples and feel good about it. Overcoming all the hurdles that came their way and making things happen for themselves makes us feel proud too.
Have we ever thought about what were the qualities the child possessed that made him crack those prestigious exams? Was it the exceptional level of IQ that the child possessed? Maybe. But one thing that is sure is the child had an exceptional AQ to overcome all the problems he/she faced and came out as a shining star in those exams.
What is AQ?
Just like IQ(Intelligence Quotient) and EQ(Emotional Quotient), one quotient that is equally important for the overall development of a child is AQ. Adversity Quotient is the ability of a person to be resilient(never give up attitude), emotionally strong, battle through problems and solve challenges that are outside textbooks.
Recent studies have found that teaching AQ to your child has become more and more important because of the rise in stress levels at the workplace and in relationships, too. Having a strong AQ is important for well-being and prevents the onset of mental health problems. There are also claims that enhancing AQ can result in gains in productivity, capacity, performance, innovation and morale.
It’s important to teach and make kids learn to deal with adversity so that they prepare for the future lying ahead of them. Life keeps throwing problems at us and there is no possible way for challenges or adversities to end. Hence, a good way to battle this is to teach them to be resilient. Emotionally strong and resilient kids also have a better grip at dealing with trauma and are less likely to suffer from deficits when they grow up.
How to identify a person having a good AQ?
Kids with a high adversity quotient possess the following characteristics:
- Have a positive attitude towards any situation.
- Ready to learn from mistakes and are problem solvers
- Posses a constructive and positive approach to face and solve issues
- Do not give up easily when there is a setback
Can we teach our child to have a strong AQ?
Fortunately, Yes!!
How to develop AQ in your child?
One of the ways to develop your child’s AQ is to teach your child to be self-aware and not give up when there is a setback, be open to feedback and recognise where they lack. They can learn to improve themselves in this process. It can be something as simple as a logical question, a quiz or a life skill.
As parents too, we have to support them to overcome hurdles and not overcome hurdles for them. As the saying goes – “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”. The same goes for our kids. Solve their problems for a day, they are problem free for a day, but teach them to solve their problems, they do it for a lifetime! Afterall, we will not be with them for their entire life.
