One of the many important messages that we can learn from Angela Lee Duckworth is that making mistakes and experiencing failure are important steps toward learning and developing grit. Report card time is a stressful time and understanding this concept can help you and your child deal with results that may not be as high as expected.
The learning process is full of challenges and risks that often result in failure. The important thing is to not give up. Think of babies: they don’t give up trying to learn how to crawl, stand or walk, no matter how many times they stumble. The problem is that, as we grow older, society somehow makes us feel ashamed when we make mistakes, so we are easily discouraged and give up on things that are difficult.
To help change your child cope better with failure, try the following:
- Give your child opportunities to take risks, make mistakes and fail; it will help him develop autonomy;
- Don’t correct all of your child’s mistakes; he will be proud of learning new things on his own.
- When your child does make a mistake or fails, be supportive and encouraging; say something like “it must be very frustrating, but, if you keep trying, I know you’ll get it.”
- Lastly, don’t focus on your child’s report card marks; instead, focus on the effort and actions he/ she will take to improve results.