A growth mindset is the open-minded belief that one’s abilities can be developed. The best part about this mindset is that it allows taking risks to identify the best ways of accomplishing tasks (Source -BBC).
It makes an individual positive about making mistakes. As a result, the individual pushes himself/herself beyond the defined limits or the comfort zone. This quality also makes the individual more persevering. Hence, he/she achieves better results and learns with an open mind.
Below are the 5 easy ways to develop this mindset in younger generations
1. Treat Mistakes as an Opportunity
To begin with, you must help your kids develop the right approach towards making errors in life. Teach them the mindful ways of handling mistakes. And support them to see the brighter side of the things that did not fall in place.
This change in one’s attitude and mindset does not happen overnight. However, it can be nurtured and encouraged in kids through practice and real-life example settings. Try to showcase the right attitude when someone makes a mistake at home. And encourage the mindset to accept the learning and move forward without any regrets. This will make every mistake an opportunity to avoid a bigger one. And your child will learn how to stay away from negative reactions like self-blame or repentance gradually.
This mindset will also foster problem-solving abilities in the child. Because he/she will learn how to look for better and more credible ways of accomplishing the task that was unsuccessful in the first go.
2. Shift the Focus to the Process From the Results
Many times, we are totally result-centric. This means that we ignore the process and the advantages associated with it. This makes us more disappointed if we fail in achieving the desired results. Because we choose to overlook any other learning or benefits that we could have learned through the process.
To develop a growth mindset in your kids, you must shift the focus from results to the process. Reiterate the importance of focusing on the process and the learning that it has imparted instead of valuing just the results. This will make your child make the most of the learning process. And he/she will also learn to accept results without any negativity. These qualities will create win-win situations in life. Besides, it will also help him/her to stay away from over indulging result-oriented negative thinking. This approach towards life is also a potential solution for several mental health issues. Because our kids are living in a competitive world where they are already facing challenges due to academic and other stress factors.
Shifting the focus to the process can save our kids from this mindless rat race. And you can also take up a stress-free educational option to develop this mindset.
3. Let Your Child Be More Self-aware
We all are born with innate capabilities. And it is important to identify these in order to gauge our strengths and weaknesses. If you help your child to identify these, it will support the development of a growth mindset. This knowledge will help the child to achieve better results. Because he/she will know the right ways of taking calculated risks basis their true potential.
The easiest and most effective way of cultivating self-awareness in a child is by sharing positive feedback. Other than this, you can also seek the support of other friends, family members to acquaint the child with these abilities.
Seek the support of your child’s teachers for this purpose. And utilize opportunities of parent-teacher meetings or other casual conversations to build this understanding.
Other than this, you can also make a wise choice of selecting a personalized learning schooling program for your child. It will highlight the child’s strengths and areas of improvement. And help him/her to work upon these.
4. Cultivate a Habit to Embrace Challenges
Another way of developing a growth mindset in children is to make them embrace challenges. Encourage your child to take up new things. And let them experiment and learn from their mistakes. Be a guide and a mentor throughout to ensure any fatal mistake. But at the same time, set the child free to use his/her thinking capabilities to overcome challenging situations.
Create simple challenges in your daily lives. For instance, plan realistic budgets after pay-cuts, or discuss troublesome situations (real or hypothetical), and involve the child for solutions.
5. Foster ‘Never Say Die’ Attitude
The last one on this list is to foster a ‘Never Say Die’ attitude in your child!
Perseverance and the right approach to keep trying till you succeed can prepare your child for this competitive world. Inspire your child with the ‘YOU CAN DO IT’ spirit. And help him/her to go on and on till the task is accomplished. Encourage your child to have faith in his/her potential. And teach them to discard the ideas that create self-doubt.
Final Thoughts:
A growth mindset can reap great benefits in the future. So teach your kids these invaluable lessons in life to help him/her explore their true potential.
We hope this information was helpful for you!
International Schooling
Dec 09, 2022
