My kids love nothing more than whiling away a Saturday morning at the trampoline park. My eldest daughter approaches her bouncing in the same way as she tackles the rest of her life – with thoughtful care. Meanwhile, her younger sibling throws herself in, doing somersaults and performing tricks without a moment’s thought for safe landings. It’s a gung-ho approach that has little to do with padded springs and non-slip socks. That’s just how she rocks.
But which one do you think displays more emotional resilience? The answer is the big sister, who’s had more to overcome in the shape of dyslexia and anxiety. She can dig deep and have a more positive outlook in the face of adversity than the gymnast, whose response is often to run and hide. This difference neatly illustrates scientific research showing that resilience (the capacity to recover from a crisis and return to the status quo) can be learnt. Now, how to even the odds and make both equally capable of coping with life’s many ups and downs?
Bring on a trusted friend
The stress of being different to her classmates when it came to learning to read turned my eldest daughter into an extremely angry 5-year-old who didn’t want to go to school. Short weekly sessions with a school counsellor to discuss these scary feelings helped her to turn down the rage, and as she made academic progress, her outlook was transformed. Ever since, she has used good teachers like trusted friends to reinforce her progress and sense of self. According to Harvard University’s Centre on the Developing Child, fostering these kinds of supportive relationships, at home and in the wider community, is a crucial buffer in protecting children and helping them to turn “toxic stress”, which disrupts healthy childhood development, into “tolerable stress” and greater resilience.
No problem too small
Support doesn’t have to mean intervention by a professional, in the same way that a problem doesn’t need to be huge to require a solution. Noticing when your child is troubled and talking through smaller, manageable problems, gives him or her practice at resolving issues. This is an important skill to build for the inevitable challenges ahead.
But why?
Anger, tears and meltdowns are common reactions to childhood setbacks, but unhelpful tools for problem-solving. It takes a great deal of persuasion, but sometimes, just sometimes, I manage to coax my youngest daughter into a few, focused deep breaths, so we can talk about what's troubling her. Giving children the means to separate overwhelming feelings from their cause helps them to feel that a problem is manageable. Feeling in control is one key to resilience.
Great job (or not)
You’ve identified and helped to work through something that was troubling your child. Now don’t forget to finish the forensic examination of events with a heartfelt: “Well done, you handled that really well.” That way, you are building up confidence for next time around.
Knowing when to step in or step back
When parents step in to "rescue a child from a problem she can handle on her own, we short-circuit her opportunity to learn how to address a difficult issue or understand her capacity to handle hard stuff", according to Dr Daniel Siegel and Dr Tina Payne Bryson, authors of The Yes Brain Child: Help Your Child Be More Resilient, Independent and Creative. But that's not to say we should leave kids to cope before they are ready, Siegel and Payne Bryson write. "When they face a challenge that's too big to handle alone, we fiercely support them. Whereas at times we push, asking them to do more than they are comfortable with, at times like these, we provide the cushion, letting them know that we're on their side, that we've got their back."
Now you do it
The need for parents to take a long, hard look at their behaviour should come as no surprise to regular readers. How often do you react to a problem in anger rather than with logic and problem-solving rationale? How successful are your own coping methods and could they be improved, Siegel and Payne Bryson ask. Kids are still developing soft skills such as decision-making and empathy because the prefrontal cortex, the front section of the brain that processes emotional and social intelligence, is not hardwired; this circuitry evolves based on our unique experiences over a lifetime. The common-sense thesis is that parents are better equipped to help their offspring develop robust emotional and relational skills if their own neurons are firing in that direction. So take a note of what flips your switch, replacing reason with more basic instincts like anger, and what works to keep you calm: "Knowing your particular strategy is a source of resilience." And no one needs resilience more than an active parent.
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Read more:
How to speak to kids about mindfulness
How to speak to kids about exercise
How to talk to kids about money
How to talk to kids about healthy eating
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Company%C2%A0profile
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
RESULTS
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Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Malcolm & Marie
Directed by: Sam Levinson
Starring: John David Washington and Zendaya
Three stars
More coverage from the Future Forum
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
