As adults, we’ve all experienced our fair share of failure. Whether you’ve endured an unsuccessful relationship, been let go from a job, or experienced financial trouble, you’re probably all too familiar with the pain that comes from suffering an unfavorable outcome. So, as a parent, you instinctively want to shield your children from weathering similar storms. But safely guiding your little ones around every bump in the road won’t help them in the long run. Here are three reasons you should let your kids fail.
- Resilience
When you first learned to ride a bike, you probably fell. Not just once, but multiple times. However, the beauty in falling is learning to get back up. After your first fall, had you never decided to get back on your bike, you would’ve never learned to ride it. Failure isn’t fun, but it isn’t final either. By allowing your kids to fail, you give them an opportunity to learn resilience.
- Ingenuity
Failure breeds ingenuity. If at first, you don’t succeed, try and try again. Through trial and error, children learn that there is more than one way to win. If your child is struggling to solve a problem, instead of offering a solution, encourage them to think outside of the box. Doing so will demonstrate your confidence in their problem-solving abilities, analytical skills, and character. Oftentimes, that parental trust is all kids need in order to believe in themselves. The more children have a chance to discover their own answers, the more comfortable they’ll be when it comes to facing challenges head-on.
3. Appreciation
The last benefit of failure is a greater appreciation for success. It’s hard to fully appreciate your victories when you’ve never failed. Although reaching the finish line without even breaking a sweat sounds lovely, there’s something special about overcoming adversity to achieve your goal. Help your kids understand the true value of triumph by allowing them to fail every now and then.
You won’t always be able to swoop in and break the fall once your kids are adults, so it’s best to prepare them while they’re young. Although it’s understandably tough to sit on the sidelines, let these three motivators strengthen your resolve. In the future, your kids will look back and appreciate the perseverance they gained from being allowed to fail.
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