Video

Teaching Persistence

Teach child the power of persistence: breaking new tasks into smaller steps, and reminding kids that failing is how we learn is what being human is all about.

Watch the video together and ask kids what new thing they’ve learned to do lately. Did they do it perfectly the first time? Point out that learning new skills takes practice and patience. You might also:

  • Help kids break new tasks into smaller steps. If learning to tie shoelaces, have the kids practice each new step alone until it’s mastered, then move to the next step.
  • Remind kids that failing is how we all learn. It’s natural to feel mad or frustrated, and at the same time, you can also be proud of how hard you’re trying. Teach kids to replace “I can’t do this” with “I can’t do this—yet!”