Making mistakes builds resilience

Making mistakes leads to a growth mindset, which in turn promotes resilience. If you can stretch your brain and improve cognitive ability, you are more likely to succeed in life. In recent years, we parents have been accused of ‘helicopter parenting’, feeling the need to watch over our child’s every move. This label was recently replaced by ‘snowplough parenting’, meaning we are clearing the path in front of our child to ensure they don’t come across any unforeseen obstacles along the way. If this is the case, we really are doing them a disservice. Think back to the last time you yourself really embedded knowledge, as a result of making a mistake. Had you simply been ‘told’ not to do “X”, you would not have come away with the same understanding and, what you did learn, would have been much more superficial. We need to give our children those same opportunities to learn for themselves.

Maths is one subject in which we are led to believe that there are only right or wrong answers. Whilst technically accurate, it is also about problem solving. Take for instance the visual learner who looks at the following equation – ½ + ½ - most will be desperately trying to remember the formula they were taught, asking themselves ‘do I add the top numbers or the bottom numbers?’ and forgetting the image of a divided cake or pizza. Once they are given the time and space to think more logically, half a cake plus half a cake makes a whole cake, they can then apply the same visual logic to other, similar problems. All those thought processes, perseverance and logical thinking, are making neural connections in the brain, helping to maximise problem-solving skills and resilience. MATH – Mistakes allow thinking to happen.

Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new

By making errors, we all come to understand that it’s not only okay to make mistakes but, that we can learn so much more from our mistakes, which will help us when solving future problems. By learning to problem solve, our children can take ownership of their work and will also benefit more when they get the answer right. They won’t simply be trying to please their tutor, instead their tutor becomes the person who supports their learning and enables them to take ownership of that knowledge. Being in control of one’s own learning, leads to self-efficacy, the ability to motivate ourselves and feel confident in our own abilities.

The greatest mathematicians often used their mistakes as a way of defining the most effective methods for potential solutions. Very few people get things right first time, including the best mathematical brains. So, the sooner we teach our children, that not only is it okay to make mistakes, but quite often it is beneficial, the more resilient they will be when faced with challenges of all descriptions. Surely, we want them to see a problem as a challenge that can be worked through, rather than something that will floor them and make them feel like a failure when they can’t work it out.

One of Einstein’s most notable quotes sums it up, ‘anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.’

About The Parent Collaborative

The Parent Collaborative is a Parenting Consultancy that delivers courses, workshops and one-to-one sessions to parents, schools and businesses. Their goal is to support families as they navigate the sometimes choppy waters of parenthood.

The Parent Collaborative was founded by 2 mothers, Early Years teachers (with a combined total of 40 years experience of teaching and senior management), friends and long-time work partners who saw that there was a lack of support for families going through a tough time with their children. In addition to 1-to-1 sessions and group presentations, The Parent Collaborative also organises talks with leading practitioners in the Mental Health arena; assists teachers and parents in schools; and works with the local community to help children and parents maximise each family’s unique dynamic.

Find out more here.