Cultivating perseverance in an instantaneous world.
In our modern society, teaching our children to persevere is more important than ever. We live in an age where everything is at our fingertips and instant gratification reigns supreme.
Whether it's ordering food, watching a TV series or finding information, the "everything, right away" economy is influencing our daily lives.
Our children, immersed in this world, are naturally accustomed to instant gratification.
When I tell my children that I have to wait every week to see the next episode of my favorite cartoon, they look at me with round eyes, as if it were impossible.
But in this fast-paced world, teaching our children to persevere in the face of challenges is a key skill that will help them throughout their lives, at school, in their leisure activities, and later in their professional lives.
How do you teach perseverance?
Perseverance is not acquired overnight. It's a skill that develops over time, with constant encouragement and regular effort. Fortunately, there are simple methods to help our children strengthen their ability to persist despite difficulties.
Here are 5 essential tips to help them meet challenges and overcome obstacles:
1. Set concrete, achievable goals
Well-defined, realistic goals are the key to maintaining motivation. Help your child break down a big task into smaller steps to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
For example, instead of asking him to finish a long assignment in one go, encourage him to divide it into sections. This will allow him to concentrate on each part and enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes with each step.
2. Normalize failure
It's crucial to teach our children that failure is not an end in itself, but an opportunity to learn and improve. When your child experiences failure, ask questions like: "What did you learn from this experience?" or "What will you do differently next time?". By adopting this approach, you help him to see failure as a stage in his learning, not an end in itself.
3. Celebrating small victories
Every achievement deserves to be celebrated, no matter how small. Encourage your children to recognize their successes, no matter how modest. This recognition boosts their motivation and self-confidence.
Praise every little success, whether it's solving a difficult problem or learning a new skill. Every milestone is a step towards a greater goal.
4. Take breaks when necessary
Learning to persevere doesn't mean going to exhaustion. Sometimes it's essential to take a break and come back stronger. Teach your child that stepping back is not the same as giving up, but a strategy for long-term success.
Show your child that knowing when to stop and when to start again is just as valuable a skill as perseverance itself.
5. Practice patience with fun activities
Certain activities, such as puzzles, sports or even coloring, are excellent ways of cultivating patience and perseverance. These activities require time, concentration and constant effort, while clearly showing the link between the work done and the end result.
A concrete example
Let's take the example of your child learning to ride a bike. He falls, gets discouraged and wants to give up. How do you react?
- Set a small goal: Encourage him to concentrate on a short journey, rather than trying to master the whole route immediately.
- Celebrate every effort: Praise him for every little bit of progress, like keeping his balance for even a few seconds.
- Reinforce his perseverance: With practice and perseverance, he'll eventually succeed, and this will boost his confidence to take on other challenges in the future.
The benefits of long-term perseverance
By instilling perseverance in our children, we give them a valuable asset for life. They will understand that obstacles are not roadblocks, but opportunities to learn and improve. This ability to persist, despite difficulties, will help them not only to overcome everyday challenges, but also to achieve their long-term goals.
Ultimately, perseverance goes hand in hand with self-confidence, and together these skills help our children become resilient adults, capable of facing and succeeding in any field.
To cultivate perseverance, I invite you to try our perseverance program, available on the Soft kids For Family app.
The Soft Kids team 🌈
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