Growth Mindset and Perseverance

What is Mindset?

Mindset is a way of thinking that determines how people think, feel, and act when they are faced with challenges. At Battle Creek, we encourage our students to have a growth mindset, as opposed to a fixed mindset. People with a growth mindset tend to:

Think that with hard work, you can get smarter.
Keep on going in the face of challenges.
Have the desire to never stop learning.
Think that mistakes help you learn.
Learn from the feedback from others.
Have helpful self-talk.

Here are some resources to learn more about growth mindset and help you encourage your child with their mindset!

Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset

Developing a Growth Mindset

Parent's Guide to a Growth Mindset - Big Life Journal (1).pdf

Big Life Journal

I learned about Big Life Journal from a Battle Creek parent a few years ago. After checking them out, I wished I'd learned about it ages ago! Big Life Journal creates resources to help children develop a growth mindset. Their website sells journals and other books, and has cool FREE resources such as printables for kids and their families, a helpful blog, and podcasts on growth mindset for kids!

Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset: Key Differences and How to Shift Your Child's MindsetLearn more about the difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset, and learn how to change your mindset.

Nurturing a Growth Mindset from BirthAs a new parent, you may have heard about the importance of instilling a growth mindset in your child. If you get it right, a growth mindset can be a powerful thing. A recent study even showed it can even counter the effects of poverty on academic achievement. But for many parents, the question is when do you go about helping your child with their mindset? And how? Surprisingly, you can start from birth! Here are our top tips on how to do just that.

5 Powerful Ways to Help Kids Develop a Growth Mindset in Mathematics“I’m just not good at math. I’m not a math person. I wasn’t born with the math gene.” Unfortunately, as a math educator, these phrases are all too familiar to me. Kids go through school and life being bombarded with messages that imply some people are good at math and some people aren’t. How can you help kids develop a growth mindset in math? Here are some practical ideas to get you started.

Kids and Sports: 5 Effective Ways to Foster a Growth Mindset When we talk about growth mindset, we usually apply it to academics. But practicing growth mindset in sports is extremely beneficial as well. In sports, the focus is too often solely on outcomes (winning or losing). Instead, parents should emphasize the process (practice, effort, improvement). Not only does this make sports more enjoyable for kids, but it also helps foster a growth mindset. Here are five effective ways to nurture your child’s growth mindset through sports.

Additional Resources on Growth Mindset

TEDx - Carol Dweck: The Power of Believing That You Can Improve

HuffPost - Growth Mindset Parenting

EduTopia - Resources for Teaching Growth Mindset

Big Life Journal - Top Growth Mindset Resources for Parents and Educators

Happily Ever Elephants - 25 Growth Mindset Books for Kids to Turn I CAN'T Into I CAN'T YET!

Perseverance - DOn't Give Up

To have a growth mindset, you need to have perseverance. That means that even when you face a challenge, you keep on trying. In the video, Bruno Mars sings with the Sesame Street crew about the importance of not giving up! The below blog posts from Big Life Journal gives tips on how to build perseverance and resiliency in children.

How To Raise Resilient Kids Who Never Give Up (Based On Science) As parents, we wish we could protect our kids from every disappointment, defeat, or scary challenge. Although this isn’t possible, we can teach our children to be resilient. 1. You can start by being an example of resilience for your child, and surrounding her with other adults that you feel are positive role models. 2. Praise effort and improvement so that your child will learn to embrace, rather than avoid, challenges. 3. Let them learn from their mistakes. 4. Teach your child that even the worst emotions are okay to feel, as long as she manages them appropriately instead of acting out or shutting down. 5. Foster independence in your child when it comes to solving problems. This article includes a free printable

9 Activities To Build Grit and Resilience in Children Perseverance and especially passion may sound unteachable, but they aren’t. It just takes time and consistency. Repeat the following activities with your child to help him develop his inner grittiness, putting him on the path to happiness and success.

7 Reasons Why it’s Important to Let Your Kids StruggleWhen I hear, “Mom, I need help!” or “Mom, I can’t do this,” my first instinct is to spring into action and save the day. But before we don our superhero capes to rescue children from struggle, we need to ask ourselves what we’re accomplishing. Does sparing children from struggle help or hurt them in the long run?

How To Empower Children When They StruggleAs parents, our instinct is to rush to the rescue when our children struggle. We want to say, “Don’t worry! I’ll fix it!” In the long-term, however, this “helpful” behavior only hurts our children. If we instead let our children struggle, then empower them to persevere, we can raise resilient children who are ready to take on the world. Those few moments of discomfort teach your child to persevere instead of giving up or waiting for others to come to the rescue. They learn that they are capable, which allows them to develop grit, resilience, and growth mindset.

The Power of Yet

The Power of Yet means that if you can't do something, you just can't do it yet. We remind our students to add a "yet" to every "I can't."

"I can't tie my shoes!"

"You can't tie your shoes yet. Keep practicing!"

In this Sesame Street music video, Janelle Monaé encourages the Sesame Street crew as they learn new skills, such as math, dancing, singing, and playing basketball.

LEARN AND Try New THings

An important aspect of having a growth mindset is the desire to learn new skills and information. An open mind will take kids a long way when it comes to learning, working, and living! Here are two blog posts from Big Life Journal on the importance of learning and trying new things.

Five Strategies for Trying New ThingsIf your child struggles when trying something new, they are not alone! Trying new things can be challenging for different reasons. For example, children may feel too tired or upset to give their best effort to a new activity. Or they may worry that they won’t complete the activity perfectly the first time. Talented kids are used to achieving success, so they may feel thrown-off when struggling with a new task. Here are five approaches you can use to support children when they try something new!

7 Ways to Instill A Love of Learning in Children As babies, children have an innate curiosity. They’re eager to explore the world around them, soaking up new information and skills like sponges. But somewhere along the way, this natural love of learning is often LOST. Many children grow to dislike and even dread school and learning new things. Fortunately, the love of learning can be developed and cultivated using a few simple strategies.

Learn From Mistakes. No one is perfect!

Everyone makes mistakes. No one is perfect! As a wise person once said, "Mistakes are good. They help us grow. They teach us what we need to know." And that's the truth! When we make a mistake, we think about how to make it better if we can, and if we can't, we learn from it for the future. See below for blog posts from Big Life Journal about learning from mistakes and failure, and handling perfectionism.

7 Ways to Teach Kids Failure Is a Great ThingMost kids are afraid to fail and, as parents and teachers, we naturally want our kids to succeed. But what if we recognized failure is good and a crucial step on the path to learning? Here are 7 ways to teach kids about the gift of failure, and how to do it skillfully.

4 Steps to Help Kids Cope with Feelings about FailureKids are not born knowing how to stay calm when confronting challenges or how to recover from failure. Emotion regulation--expressing feelings in a constructive and healthy way--is a skill we must teach. And it’s a critical one.

14 Books and Activities To Help Your Kids Learn from Mistakes As parents, we want our kids to understand that mistakes are where the real discoveries are made. We want them to be courageous, take good risks and not be afraid to fail. Yet, so many children avoid mistakes and failing at all costs. As a result, they don't spend enough time trying new things and miss valuable learning opportunities. Luckily, there are certain things we can do to make sure our kids are open to making mistakes and learning from them. But sometimes we need help to reinforce the message. I’ve compiled a list of books and activities for kids ages 5 and up that provide just the lift they need to get over those bumps in the road to success.

6 Ways to Help Your Child Overcome the Fear of Failure As a teacher, I’ve noticed one factor that consistently holds students back in the classroom: fear of failure. When my students are afraid to fail, they typically respond to challenges in one of two ways: They give up before they even begin, preferring to avoid the possibility of failure. They get upset and down on themselves when they don’t get something right the first time, resulting in anxiety and poor performance. I’ve started to notice that my two-year-old daughter, too, gets frustrated when something is difficult for her, sadly saying, “I’m not good at [insert challenge here].” For my students, my daughter, and countless other children, the fear of failure can be crippling. But there has to be a way to change this, right?

7 Ways To Help Your Child With PerfectionismChildren who are critical of themselves and fearful of making mistakes are often perfectionists. The good news is, children can learn to overcome perfectionistic traits with some support and practice! Here are 7 simple ways to help your child combat perfectionism, and nurture a healthy self-image.

30 Ways to Respond To Your Perfectionist ChildDo you have a child who is a perfectionist? Perhaps they freeze up or get frustrated over the smallest tasks or they want to make sure everything is, well, perfect. How can we, as parents, teachers, and caregivers, respond in helpful and positive ways when our child is struggling with perfectionism? Below is the list of supportive responses that work wonders for the families in our Raising Kids with a Growth Mindset Facebook Community.

Specific Praise and Constructive Feedback

Two things that can really help a child grow are specific praise and constructive feedback. Specific praise means more than just saying, "Good job!" It means telling a child what they did that made it a good job. "Your floor looks really neat and tidy. All the toys are in their bins and your Legos are all put away." "You worked really hard on that drawing. I can see you added so many details to that dragon!" The blog post below has some strategies on giving praise.

As for feedback, even the most carefully worded feedback can upset some children. For tips on sharing feedback, see the blogpost below.

The Ultimate Guide to Praising Your Kids Many parents - until recently, myself included - hold the mistaken belief that it’s important to shower our children with constant praise. Praising our children is instinctual, almost a reflex. Any time your child does something wonderful, it seems natural to say, “Great job!” But we have to think about what we’re really accomplishing with all this praise. Praise can benefit motivation and self-esteem, but these effects aren’t always lasting. Our ultimate goal should be to nurture our child’s intrinsic motivation. Effective praise, given at the right time, can nurture intrinsic motivation. It can help our children become confident, resilient, and self-directing.

7 Tips to Give Effective Feedback to Your Child How many times has our (well-intentioned) feedback and advice been met with a blank stare? Or worse, a negative and defensive reaction? It’s only natural for children to resist feedback, especially when it’s corrective. At the same time, we know sharing constructive, meaningful feedback is one of the most effective ways to learn and grow. Fortunately, there are simple ways to provide feedback and keep your child open and engaged—and able to gain its many rewards. Check out these 7 helpful tips for delivering constructive feedback, so your child can grow and persevere.

Helpful Self-Talk and Positive Attitude

An important aspect of Growth Mindset is having helpful self-talk and a positive attitude. We want to talk to ourselves in a way that shows caring. If we get caught up saying negative things about ourselves, we want to stop and think, "Would I say these things to a friend in the same situation?" Of course not! We need to be good friends to ourselves, too!

It's the same for our kids. If your child is having negative self-talk, ask them what they would say to a friend in the same situation. If your child is feeling frustrated with learning something new, remind them that instead of saying, "I'll never be able to do this!" we need to replace it with a helpful statement and say, "I just need to keep practicing." Go Noodle has a channel called Think About It with some great videos to help kids be a friend to themselves and others. The below webpages offer advice on how to help your child change their negative self-talk into helpful self-talk.

Turning Negative Self-Talk into Positive Self-Talk — Coping Skills for KidsThis podcast episode is all about turning negative self-talk into positive self-talk. I discuss two of my go-to strategies when working with clients to help manage the negative things they say to themselves. When we let those negative thoughts fester, it can impact how we see ourselves and inter

7 Ways To Address Your Child's Negative Self-Talk One of the most difficult things for parents to hear is their child putting herself down or saying things like, “I can’t do this because I’m dumb,” or “He doesn’t want to be my friend because I’m stupid.” These statements, connected to low self-esteem, are very damaging and if left unchecked, they can take a huge toll on a child’s self-worth. Knowing HOW TO respond to your child when he says negative things about himself is important. You can help him SHIFT the focus from negativity to his abilities and potential. Modeling growth mindset in front of your child is one of the important ways that you can help to lessen that line of thinking.

7 Tips to Rewire Your Child’s Brain for PositivityHave you ever noticed that you (or your children) dwell on criticisms more than compliments? That bad news sticks with you and your students more than good news? This is how the human brain works, even from a young age. Our well-meaning brains want to protect us and ensure our survival, so they constantly scan the environment for threats. The brain’s tendency to focus on the negative is called “negativity bias.” So, if you’re worried that your children emphasize the negative, know that it’s normal. And there’s even better news: Thanks to a phenomenon called neuroplasticity, it’s possible to rewire the brain for positivity. If we help our children practice positivity, we train their brains to look on the bright side.

45 Growth Mindset MantrasHaving a growth mindset is powerful! There are many ways we can cultivate a growth mindset each day. Mantras and statements are simple and effective tools to encourage children and they can be used in a variety of ways. We’ve created a list of 45 Growth Mindset Mantras based on input from our community. You can use these in your home or classroom.

Set and Work Toward Goals

As the saying goes, "A goal without a plan is just a wish." I wish the Disney movie The Princess and the Frog had been around when I was a kid. When the main character, Tiana, was a little girl, she told her parents about how wishing on a star can make dreams come true. Her dad replied, "Yes, you wish and you dream with all your little heart. But you remember, Tiana, that old star can only take you part of the way. You got to help him with some hard work of your own." What a powerful message! For information on goal setting with kids, see below for some videos from CBC Kids and RocketKids and some blog posts from Big Life Journal.

CBC KIds: Goals

How to Set Goals

4 Steps for Helping Your Child Set Effective Goals (Plus a Bonus Tip) Science says 92 percent of people don't achieve their goals. Perhaps, most of them have never learned how to effectively set their goals. You can help your child learn the skill of goal-setting, which is critical for developing grit and just simply getting what you want out of life. So how do you teach your kids set their own goals? Here are four research-based steps for helping your child set effective goals, track progress, and stay motivated in the process.

7 Fun Goal Setting Activities for Children We all know that setting and achieving goals is a life skill necessary for success and happiness. But it’s one that even adults REALLY struggle with: Studies say that only about 8% of people achieve their New Year’s resolutions! How can we teach children to set realistic goals—and actually follow through? Make it fun! Research shows that children learn best when they’re playing and enjoying themselves at the same time. Fun experiences increase levels of endorphins, dopamine, and oxygen, all of which promote learning. Here are 7 activities that can make it more fun (and more effective) for your child. Goal setting will never be dull again!

Don't Compare Yourself To Others

It can be tempting for kids (and adults!) to compare their progress with the progress of their peers'. We see this in school work, sports, music, and so many other areas. What's important for everyone to realize is that when we compare our own progress with the progress of others, that isn't really a fair measure. We need to think about our own growth. Where did you start? Where are you now? How far have you come? For information about how to help your child with this, see below for two blogposts from Big Life Journal.