Growth mindset (growth mindset) is a term coined by Carol Dweck, author of a popular book on self-development and professor of psychology at Stanford University. She was one of the first to explore the desire built into the human mind to become better and grow. It has long been known that thinking influences and determines the quality of life. Thus, positive affirmations and self-confidence significantly increase it. Accordingly, if we perceive everything that happens as good and look for opportunities for development in any experience, even negative ones, we are more likely to succeed in what we do and eventually achieve our goals. This is the meaning of the concept of growth thinking.
What else does growth mindset include?
A growth mindset is also about continuous self-education. It is not for nothing that people in Russia said: “Live a century, study a century.” The life-long learning concept allows a person to realize that their initial living conditions are not decisive. Anyone can strive for more and achieve what they want. Everyone has a chance to learn skills that they are interested in or need.
A growth mindset involves finding new ways to learn and solve problems. People who are eager to develop love to experiment and often leave their comfort zone to try new things. Growth mindset is also characterized by flexibility and open-mindedness.
How do you teach your child a growth mindset?
Praise efforts, not results
If a person enjoys the process, they will be inclined to continue their activities even after reaching the original goal. This will help him carry out long-term projects and strive for more, as well as understand that he won't give up halfway (after all, the journey itself is already a reward for him!) Praise the child even if he fails. This will help him stop being afraid of failure or mistakes and focus on the process.
Diversified development is the key to success
The brain loves diversity. If you “saturate” him with knowledge and skills from completely different fields, he will begin to synthesize new innovative ideas and solutions that can lead to innovative results. Versatile thinking is very useful in life: it is an opportunity to assess situations from unusual perspectives, which is difficult to do while thinking traditionally.
Don't be afraid of new things
We are often afraid of what we don't know how to do. Try to do new things with your kids. Even if it does not work out right away, the child will understand that everything in the world can be gradually learned. This realization can become a serious motivator in the future and qualitatively change his life. And let's repeat: teach your child to enjoy the process of learning new things!
Learn from mistakes
Explain to your child that mistakes are very important and should not be afraid of them. They are our helpers on the way to our goal. Remember that the brain works in a very peculiar way: it always analyzes mistakes to prevent them in the future. Trust him, he knows what he's doing =) And allow yourself to make as many mistakes as you need.
Positive habits
90% of our daily lives consist of habitual activities. Teach your child to analyze their own behavior and how they spend their day. Does he like his own show, or would he like to improve (add or remove) something? Ask your child to answer these questions honestly and start making changes if necessary.
On the importance of sharing experiences
Encourage your child to share any discoveries and conclusions they've come to during the day. Ask questions and show genuine interest. All this will motivate the child to continue exploring the world with curiosity and trying new things!
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