PERSISTENCE

Persistence is when you continue to do something even though it may be hard or others may be against it. We all need to learn the art of persistence to help us through the ups and downs of life. It is important to teach kids persistence, to not give up and to learn that we can achieve things through hard work, practice and effort. 

Here are some tips to teach your kids persistence:

• Help them identify their strengths – Once they know their strengths, talk about why they might be good at those things – they might have practiced over and over, or worked out another way to solve the problem. These traits help them try new things and to be persistent.
• Believe in them - this is especially important when they might have given up on themselves. Be your child's biggest supporter and use positive language to acknowledge that some things are harder than others but encourage them to keep trying.
• Set goals – then break the goals into smaller steps that they can achieve. When you achieve something, it motivates you to try the next step. Learning to tie shoelaces can be frustrating for many kids. Teach them one part of the process at a time and once they have mastered that, move on to the next part. 
• Encourage a hobby – find something that your child loves to do and then encourage them to explore it to their heart’s content. If they are passionate about something, they are more likely to practice it. Practice and repetition are key ingredients of persistence.
• Give your child space and independence – don’t rush in and ‘save’ them all the time. When things go wrong (and they will), it is often good to step back and let them have a break and then try again later that day or the next day. 

Over the next week, notice when your child has shown persistence and let them know!

Let’s hope there is some sunshine over the weekend.

Katrina Victor-Gordon

Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinator