When children are young, it's the parents and caregivers who are responsible for their every need. During those early education years, it's the parents who are there to fulfil their needs. But as the children begin to grow and explore different environments around them, they experience new things. Moreover, we as parents and teachers, naturally want our children to succeed in every scenario. This upbringing and thought gets fixed in the minds of the children and sooner they become afraid of failures. Ask any childcare expert, failure is one of the biggest fears for every child. Parents should understand and make their children understand that failure is a necessary component of success. When children understand this concept, amazing things begin to happen for them. So, today we will be discussing how to encourage children to learn from failure. We have compiled a list of ways through which we can encourage our children to learn from failures and how to do it skillfully.
Encouraging Children To Learn From Failures Through These Ways:
Failures Helps In Figuring Out What Works Best
One of the first things parents should make children understand is that when you fail for the first time, it doesn't imply that it will never work. In fact, it just means that you need to try a different approach or method to get what you want. We know how children are very impressionable, so even if they don't know what works best for them, it's the failure which can give them scope to figure it out. Having your child think critically about what they can do will help in improving their performance.
Make Them Celebrate Failures
Another way to make children comfortable with failures is by making them learn to celebrate failures. After all, failure can be an excellent teacher. Teaching children that failure can be an opportunity for growth is a great way to help them feel empowered especially when they fail. Children will begin to see failure as something good instead of bad which will allow them to overcome obstacles in life and bounce back even stronger after every failure.
Discuss The Learning Pit With Your Child
Most parents might not know but many of the schools around the world use the concept of The Learning Pit as an analogy of learning. In simple words, learning pit acts as a challenge. As children get older and feel more confident in themselves, these challenges can them build grit. Once your child starts spending time with their resources from The Learning Pit, it helps them learn how to deal with failures the next time around.
Explain The Science of How Failing Is Good
According to expert professors, one thing which makes education quite tough for children is that it takes time for new skills to become usable. That; 's where the science of how failing is good comes in. Failing now, especially when trying something new will help children develop new brain connections which are necessary for their future success. Every time they will fail at some time, it will allow them to grow
stronger and become better equipped to handle similar situations again.
Give Them Experience of Failing Forward
For those who are unaware failing forward is a term that implies failing multiple times but learning from those failures every time and eventually succeeding. Although it is a difficult concept for children it will be worth it. Teaching children that failing is a good thing because it means you are trying new things and if you keep practising, those skills will eventually become your expert skills or your second nature. Make them understand that failing forward works really great for any skill and activity.
Celebrate Little Progresses & Milestones
Another way to make children comfortable with failures is by celebrating the little progress and milestones they have achieved. All these things little things will make your child proud of themselves. Parents also need to remember that children are still learning how to deal with failures and hence it's very important not to compare them to others. When children understand that failure is a chance for their growth, it will give them a never-give-up attitude.
Set A Courageous Example
Parents are their children’s first hero or role model. When you fail in front of your children, it explains that yes failures are a part of life and their parents sometimes fail too. It will also teach them how failures are just the beginning of learning something new. Let your children know that they are doing great just by trying. Make them understand how you also failed so many times before reaching your present goals. Parents should also encourage children to work hard and continue learning. After all in the end, with failures children can learn new things every time.
Teach The Mindful Approach
Last but not least, even with these strategies we mentioned above, failures can still be overwhelming for the children. That’s where teaching children to follow a mindful approach is a great way to help them deal with emotions that come up with failures. With practice, children can comfortably learn to respond to their strong feelings about failures rather than simply reacting. Parents can follow any strategy of their choice to teach children a mindful approach. With this attitude, children can easily learn to accept and respond to failure with feelings associated with it.
Final Thoughts!
In conclusion, it's the responsibility of parents to make children comfortable with failures so that they know how great it feels when they succeed. Both parents and teachers of the Daycare creche or school should raise children in an environment where children feel okay with failing every once in a while. Praise children for trying harder every time so that their focus is only on the success and outcomes of their hard work not on the failures that are coming their way. So, go ahead and implement these ways to encourage your children to learn from failures.
