How to Help Your Child Build a Growth Mindset?

Introduction: What is a Growth Mindset?

Imagine your child saying, “I can’t do this… yet,” instead of giving up on a challenging task. That’s the essence of a growth mindset—a belief that intelligence, skills, and abilities can be developed through effort and perseverance.

Dr. Carol Dweck, who coined the term, found that children with a growth mindset are more likely to embrace challenges, learn from failures, and achieve long-term success. The good news? Cultivating this mindset isn’t as hard as it seems. Here’s how you can guide your child toward embracing a growth mindset and seeing challenges as opportunities to grow.

1. Shift the Focus to Effort Over Results

Encourage your child to value effort and persistence rather than simply succeeding. For example, instead of saying, “You’re so smart,” try, “You worked hard on that!”

Why It Works: Praising effort reinforces the idea that improvement comes from practice, not innate talent.

Activity Idea: Create an “Effort Tracker” where your child records tasks they worked hard on, even if they didn’t succeed initially. Celebrate their perseverance at the end of the week.

2. Normalise Mistakes as Learning Opportunities

Talk openly about mistakes and failures in your own life. Share what you learned from them and how they helped you grow.

Example: “I forgot to double-check the grocery list today, and I missed getting your favourite snack. Next time, I’ll review it before leaving!”

Extend It: Use The Wonder Whale Everyday Wonders Journal to encourage your child to reflect on their own mistakes and write down what they learned from them.

3. Teach the Power of “Yet”

Replace fixed phrases like “I can’t do this” with “I can’t do this yet.” This small addition reminds kids that growth is possible with time and effort.

Activity Idea: Create a “Yet Poster” with phrases like “I can’t ride my bike… yet” or “I don’t understand fractions… yet.” Display it somewhere visible for regular reinforcement.

4. Introduce Stories of Perseverance

Share books or stories about people who overcame challenges through persistence. Examples include:

• Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty: A tale of resilience and creativity.

• The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires: Encourages kids to keep trying even when things go wrong.

  
  

Discussion Tip: After reading, ask your child, “What did the character do to solve their problem? How can we apply that in real life?”

5. Encourage Curiosity and Problem-Solving

When your child encounters a challenge, guide them to ask questions like, “What can I try next?” or “Who can help me figure this out?”

Why It Works: Focusing on solutions rather than obstacles helps kids develop critical thinking and resilience.

Extend It: Incorporate journaling prompts like “What challenge did I face today, and how did I try to solve it?”

6. Be a Growth Mindset Role Model

Your actions speak louder than words. Demonstrate a growth mindset in your daily life by trying new things, persevering through challenges, and showing a willingness to learn.

Example: If you’re learning to bake a new recipe and it doesn’t turn out well, say, “It didn’t work this time, but I’ll adjust the recipe and try again!”

7. Celebrate Small Wins

Acknowledge and celebrate progress, no matter how small. For instance, if your child struggles with reading and improves by one word, celebrate their effort and growth.

Pro Tip: Use a visual growth chart where they can add stickers or notes to mark milestones in their learning journey.

Conclusion: Planting the Seeds for Lifelong Growth

Building a growth mindset takes time, patience, and consistent reinforcement. By focusing on effort, normalising mistakes, and modelling a love for learning, you’re giving your child the tools they need to embrace challenges and persevere.

Remember, every small step they take is progress. With your support, they’ll learn that setbacks are stepping stones to success—and that they’re capable of achieving anything they set their minds to.