The Growth Mindset
YOUR MINDSET about how people learn can profoundly influence how happy your kids are. There are two basic mindsets.
- People with fixed-mindsets believe that their talents personalities are inborn, carved in stone.
- People with growth-mindsets believe that that success is a result of effort as much as or more than aptitude.
Model the growth-mindset yourself; for example, at dinner or bedtime tell about a time when you didn’t know the answer to a question.
- Who did you ask for help?
- How did you learn the answer?
At breakfast, ask questions about their opportunities for learning and growth in the coming day.
- What questions do they need answers to?
- What do they want to learn or get better at?
Make sure to ask kids about topics other than academics or sports — children are also learning important social skills at school.
- How are they are practicing being a better friend, and what challenges are they facing?
Talk to your kids about their heroes and role models.
- How did they become successful? Point out the hours of practice and effort that go into success.
Link to original PDF: http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/images/tools/try-this/tryThis-mindsets&effort.pdf
Christine Carter, Ph.D., is a mother of two and the executive director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. Find more tips for raising happy kids at greatergoodparents.org.
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