Students at Cooper are focused on learning about Perseverance this month. They are working on setting goals, learning about growth mindset, and how to use emotion management skills like recognizing emotions and using calming down strategies to keep trying. Here are ways to focus on perseverance at home.
Why is Perseverance Important?
Perseverance implies that a person will persist with a task even when they would rather do something else or when the task becomes difficult. It can make the difference between a child who gives up and one who completes what they set out to do.
Children who persevere:
*believe that they are competent and able to master their environment.
*know they can handle challenges.
*see themselves as focused and determined.
*are trustworthy because they do what they say they will do.
*set goals and work toward achieving them.
*are more willing to take risks in trying new and difficult situations.
How Can Parents Foster Perseverance in Their Children?
-When you see your children persisting with a difficult task or following through with an assignment, even when they would have preferred doing something else, praise them for their EFFORT not just the finished product.
-Tell your child why the particular task, job, chore, assignment, etc. is important.
-Let your children know you count on them to do what they say they will do.
-Model perseverance and point it out to your children when you are persistent. Model an optimistic attitude toward managing challenges.
-Use everyday situations to highlight examples of perseverance: stories on the news, television, in books, famous people your children may admire.
-Help your children to set goals and to break larger tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces so that they do not get overwhelmed. Praise each successful step along the way toward reaching the final goal.
-Let them know it is alright to make mistakes and that mistakes are for learning. They can persevere after making a mistake, using what they learned to help them move forward.
-Re-frame difficult tasks as positive challenges worth mastering.
