“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” – Dr Wayne W. Dyer
In this modern world we hear a great deal about entitlement and a ‘fixed mindset’ in our children. A fixed mindset often means we get frustrated and give up easily. As parents we all want to raise resilient, grateful children, that embrace challenges and feel confident in themselves, but how do we do that exactly?
Stanford Psychology Professor Carol Dweck, has been researching how to nurture a ‘growth mindset’ in children for the last 30 years. A growth mindset, views challenges as experiences that help you to grow. From this mentality you feel that your effort and attitude matter far more than natural ability or talent (which will only get you so far).
Through her research, Professor Dweck found that our daily interactions with our children have a profound impact on which mindset they move towards. Developing a growth mindset requires us to be mindful about our approach with our children and to practice this stuff in our own lives too (which gives us credibility)!
Adapted from Professor Dweck, here are some handy tips;
- Place as much emphasis on your child’s sportsmanship, social and emotional skills, as their achievement in academic areas.
- Rather than focusing on your child’s abilities or natural talents, instead praise their positive mental attitude and work ethic in a given situation.
- Let your children know how much you admire their aspirations, times they have shown courage, growth in a certain area and when they have been respectful.
This important shift in what we magnify on in our children can make all the difference to changing their minds (and our own) for the better. This will help to set them up for success in their lives. For more information on Professor Dweck’s research check out her bestselling book ‘Mindset – The New Psychology Of Success’.
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