Do you know what a ‘growth mindset’ is? A growth Mindset essentially means that a person is able to believe they’re capable of changing and evolving and can see potential for growth in many situations.

While we may still have hard days and sometimes struggle to embrace a growth mindset, it’s important to have one so that we don’t automatically want to throw in the towel as soon as things go wrong.

As a parent, fostering a growth mindset in your kids is crucial to how they mature over time. After all, you want your kids to know that they will learn and grow over time, even during periods of struggle.

Not only will encouraging your kids to have a growth mindset improve their self-worth, but it will also inspire and encourage them to try new things.

While it may sound intimidating, there are a few simple ways to foster a growth mindset in your child.

For starters, you’ll want to help them remain positive. Growth and positivity go hand in hand. If your child sees you walking around the house, behaving or acting negatively all the time, or constantly freaking out over small issues, they’ll be more likely to imitate those responses.

Try showing your kid what looking on the bright side is like and making the most out of any situation.

To get your kid to finish a task, whether it be finishing their homework or cleaning their room, rewarding them afterward will help motivate them and build positive patterns over time.

I’m not saying you should go out and buy them the toy they’ve been asking for the second they finish their homework, but remind them of small and more fulfilling rewards.

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For instance, tell your kid that they’ll get some dessert if they finish all their vegetables at dinner. Or maybe if they finish their homework, they’ll get to go outside and play with their friends. These kinds of interactions will help your kid realize that something good comes out of getting things done.

Even if your kid is showing signs of a positive growth mindset, it doesn’t mean they will accomplish everything in life perfectly or on the first try. So, you’ll want to praise your kid whenever you see them putting an effort into something and praise them for trying.

For instance, if your kid is having trouble learning to ride a bike, don’t forget to tell them how proud you are of them for trying. This will help your kid not focus or worry as much about end results but rather inspire them to stay on the right path.

Something that goes hand in hand with this concept is allowing them to embrace their failures and realize it is not the end of the world. Of course, we don’t want our kids to give up on something the second they fail. Therefore, we should remind them that they can always try again and that learning from their mistakes will strengthen them.

Finally, don’t forget to practice some gratitude and give thanks for what you have with your kids. It’s easy to feel like you cannot go anywhere or grow if you hardly focus on what is going right in your life.

Even in times of turmoil, there is always one thing to be grateful for, whether it be the clothes on your back, the food in your bellies, or the air in your lungs. The sooner your kids realize that, the better!

Here’s to emotional growth and growing up!