According to Cindy Quarters, an eHow Contributor, being resourceful means having the ability to approach a problem in different ways. It requires the ability to be creative and to pursue a solution from more than one direction.

Resourcefulness is not a built-in ability, but is learned over time through a variety of experiences. To develop this skill in children, children need to be exposed to situations that require them to be resourceful and that provide children an opportunity to succeed.

Kids will become self-confident and acquire problem-solving skills as a result of engaging in activities that require resourcefulness. Games that encourage resourcefulness help children to gain creativity and persistence in a fun and entertaining way.

What lesson do we teach our children by being resourceful?

We are giving our children an incredible gift when we encourage this skill. We are teaching them that nothing is unattainable if we are creative. We are teaching our children that if along their journey in life they are confronted by a wall, it does not mean they stop. We are teaching them that for every wall that hinders their journey there is always a way of climbing over, digging under or walking around the wall to keep on going.

Being resourceful and teaching our children to be resourceful is a very empowering quality. Teaching your children to be resourceful will give them the life skills they need in order to weather any storms that may bubble up in life. According to the authors of  “365 Ways To Help Your Children Grow,” being resourceful mean taking on challenges, taking time to think through the challenge and then using any available resources to solve the challenge.

How do we promote, or teach, resourcefulness?

There are many ways to teach resourcefulness. One way is to teach everyday skills. Household tasks, like doing laundry or grocery shopping, are ideal ways to teach your children how to be  resourceful.

Teaching yourself something new is actually a way to also teach your children to be resourceful. When your children see that you are learning new skills, they also want to learn new skills themselves.

You can also spark resourcefulness in your children by allowing them to brainstorm a new room decoration project. If your kids complain that they are sick of their bedrooms or if you simply are  ready to redecorate, enlist their help. Give them a budget to work with and let them come up with the ideas. Once you come up with a plan that you can both live with, go ahead and get started. They’ll enjoy the planning and the actual work because when they finish they can step back and say that they did it themselves. So not only will they learn resourcefulness but their self-esteem will be boosted as well!