4 Ways Mistakes Can Make Us Better

You’ve heard it before. Nobody’s perfect. We’re all going to have slip-ups and setbacks, some worse than others. Part of living is learning. Our children need to know that the first try may not be all it takes to succeed, so try, try again.

Here are four ways we can turn mistakes into teachable moments.

Talk to Your Kids About Your Own “Failures”

You’ve made mistakes. Let your kids know that you valued the experience because it was educational, even if it didn’t go as planned. There’s no shame in admitting what went wrong, especially when you didn’t let it define you. You can empower your children, so they don’t feel defeated when they don’t get it right.

Laugh it Off

Finding the humor in the situation makes it easier to get through. Put on a smile and share a joke if the mistake is something mild. For more serious matters, use your judgement to decide if comedy is the best policy.

It’s Just the Beginning

One mistake isn’t the end of the road. Consider it a “trial run,” and the “main event” will go off without a hitch. We get better with practice and patience.

Mistakes are a Normal Part of Life

Teach your kids from the start that they’ll have moments when they’ll mess up. It may happen a lot. Let them witness your mistakes and don’t make a big deal out of it. Also remind your kids that they shouldn’t make fun of others when they make mistakes. We’re all going to be in the same position at some point.

How do you teach your children to learn from their mistakes?

For more information like this, please visit All My Children’s blog.

By: Melissa A. Kay