It’s tempting just to reassure, but…
Thursday, April 12th, 2012
Today’s video is about a situation that can really eek out a knee-jerk reaction.
What do you do when your kid asks something like, “Am I smart enough?” or some other similarly out-of-left-field question?
It’s really, really tempting just to give empty reassurance, like, “Of course, you’re a smart kid!” But the problem with that kind of reassurance is that it tends to get kids fixated on “looking smart” or “looking good” (also known as a “fixed mindset”) as opposed to letting them know that it’s OK to put forth effort to learn something (which is known as a “growth mindset”). It also tends to feed into a cycle of kids turning to the outside for validation, instead of learning how to validate themselves.
Today’s video shares some tips about how to turn these situations from awkward or knee-jerk-reaction moments into opportunities to help your kid develop a growth mindset.
Would you like your kid to be working on math in a way where they’re not only mastering the subject itself, but also learning that they can overcome challenges and obstacles in general – in a way that’s intuitive and genuine for them? Send me an email at rebeccazook@gmail.com or call me at 617-888-0160 to set up a time for us to talk and explore what you’re looking for to see if it would be a good fit for us to work together!
Related posts:
The power of praise (2)
Math mindset lessons from the movie “Moneyball”
Self-taught hero: Pearl Fryar
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