The qualities of determination, persistence, and indomitable spirit are all important in achieving your dreams and aspirations. As far as our children are concerned, we want them to dream big and continue moving towards their dreams. We all know that dreaming can also be frustrating especially if you feel that you are not getting anywhere. You do not want your kids to give up that easily on their dreams. You want them to persist even the face of hardships. Teaching kids to persist despite challenges is one of the best things parents can do to help their children achieve their dreams.
Don’t butter things up when you are teaching kids to persist. You have to make them understand the difficulties that they are experiencing and that there are things they can do to improve their situation. The common reactions to failures is either to simply ignore it and let the child move on in whatever way he wishes to or to repair the situation and do things for their children. Resist the urge to make things perfect for your children. It hurts when we see them fall, but sometimes, it’s the only way for them to learn how to get up and move on. What is important is that they understand what happened and are able to get back up to work towards their goal again. You, on the other hand, should be around to offer your support and unconditional love in the midst of all that’s going on in your child’s life.
Persistence also comes from knowing what they can and cannot do. It’s the child’s own recognition of his skills and talents. These are his tools in achieving whatever task he has at hand. In the same way, the child should also recognize what he cannot do. His own limitations should be acknowledged. But this should, in no way, hamper progress. What a child who is determined to achieve his goals should do is to find a way around these limitations. Teaching kids to persist also involves teaching them to be innovative and resourceful in addressing their inadequacies in skills, materials, and knowledge. Many adults would actually agree that being able to do this is something that sets people who are successful apart from those who simply let life pass them by.
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David Castillo Dominici – FreeDigitalPhotos.Net