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Counselor's Corner

Counselor's Corner with Mrs. Perzan!

When it comes to building self-esteem, it's important to teach your child the value of learning from mistakes. One thing successful people have in common, according to authors M.H. Poplin, B.B. Youngs, and J.M. Healy (Helping Your Child Succeed in School) is the ability to learn from their mistakes. They may have just as many setbacks as others, but they don't see these as terrible. Instead, they always try to learn something from them. Here are a few ways to help children turn mistakes into learning opportunities:

  • Make it a challenge. If your child misses a math problem, help him see it as a puzzle to figure out. "Let's go back through the problem. Show me how you got that answer."
  • Give your child permission to make mistakes. Some kids need everything to be perfect. Choose small things at first. "Let's see what happens if we add some peaches to this recipe." Maybe it'll taste great. If it doesn't, you have something to laugh about.
  • Praise your child for a good effort. Help your children see that over time, hard work does lead to success.