by Karen
One of the best ways to help a child not dwell on his or her mistakes is to model the behavior yourself.
Whether you are a parent, a teacher, or a tutor, children pick up your attitude toward your own mistakes and how you handle learning new things.
Do you grumble when something is not working out the way you want?
Do you ever exclaim, “I can’t get this!” or “This is too hard!”?
Why then are we surprised when children do the same thing.
They are listening to us… copying us… often taking on our view of the world and how life works.
I am guilty of grumbling. I had a habit for awhile saying “I’m such a dweeb,” when I forgot an appointment or made a mistake of some kind. Then one day I heard my daughter tell herself the same thing while doing her homework… and my heart broke.
We are not dweebs. We are humans who make mistakes. I had to honestly evaluate my own thoughts and words. Was I forgiving myself for mistakes, learning from them, and moving on? Not really. We want our kids to be healthy and happy. One of those ways is knowing how to handle it when they make mistakes, and we all make plenty of them. So, not only did I change my own mind set…
I decided to change how I spoke.
Now instead, when making mistakes I say:
“Almost got it!”
“I love a challenge!” (and I do)
“This __________ is tough, but I’m tougher!”
Take on the mindset that mistakes are learning tools and speak in those terms.
Embrace that idea and see your own life become more positive. And in doing so, you will be influencing your child, letting them know that making mistakes are quite alright.
Mistakes are often how we learn and grow.
Quotables
“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” —Albert Einstein
“Mistakes are proof that you’re trying.” —Anon.
