Happy Friday Wolf + Friends Community!! For this week’s expert tip of the week, I would like to focus on how to promote having a growth mindset! I know many children are transitioning back to school this fall and may be struggling with homework time, or perhaps they are working on a developmental milestone that is particularly challenging for them. It can be difficult as a parent to know exactly how to support them through their struggles! Helping children develop a growth mindset can encourage them to focus more on the process than the outcome. An individual with a growth mindset believes that their abilities are not fixed and that they are able to learn and develop throughout their lifespan through hard work and determination! Here are a few ways to encourage a growth mindset: 1. Teach kids about how the brain gets stronger as we practice skills, and that it’s okay to be a beginner! 2. Teach kids about the power of yet! Oftentimes you may hear “I can’t do this!” or “I don’t get this.” We want to encourage children to end that sentence with “yet” so that in time with practice and effort and more understanding they will develop the necessary skills. 3. Model having a growth mindset towards learning and challenges. Give yourself grace if you find you have made a mistake, and use it as an opportunity to model perseverance. 4. Encourage yourself to try new things and be a beginner at something! 5. Praise the process of a task rather than the outcome. Be intentional with your praise and highlight their efforts, the strategies they use, their focus, and their determination! If you enjoyed learning about this topic, please feel free to listen to Episode 51: Growth Mindset on the Helping Kids Thrive Wolf + Friends Podcast as I go into further detail. I would also recommend the works of Stanford University Professor, Dr. Carol S. Dwek, who studied Growth Mindset!

Posted by Melanie at 2022-09-23 21:01:33 UTC