The Fathering Project

Promoting a Growth Mindset for Children

Growth mindsets are important to help your children reframe their way of thinking. One of the most impactful ways we can support our children is by fostering a growth mindset—a belief in the power of effort, perseverance, and learning from setbacks.

How can you help to promote a growth mindset for children?

Try these six tips: 

1. Praise effort: Encourage your child’s hard work and perseverance rather than just praising their innate abilities. This fosters a belief that success comes from effort rather than fixed traits.
2. Encourage learning from mistakes: Teach your child that mistakes are opportunities for growth and learning. Help them to see failures as temporary setbacks and opportunities to improve rather than a reflection of their capabilities.
3. Model a growth mindset: Demonstrate a growth mindset in your own actions and attitudes. Let your child see you facing challenges, persevering, and learning from setbacks. Your behaviour sets a powerful example.
4. Emphasise the power of “Yet”: Encourage your child to use the word “yet” when faced with challenges or setbacks. For example, instead of saying “I can’t do this,” they can say “I can’t do this yet.” This simple shift in language promotes a belief in growth and progress.
5. Foster curiosity and a Love of learning: Cultivate your child’s natural curiosity by exposing them to new experiences, encouraging questions, and supporting their interests. Help them see learning as an exciting journey rather than a chore.
6. Provide specific feedback: When giving feedback, focus on specific actions and strategies your child used rather than vague praise. This helps them understand what they did well and how they can improve in the future.

Dad joke of the week

"Every morning I announce to my family that I'm going jogging, but then I don't go...It's a running joke."