Helping Kids Grow Their Mindsets

October 10, 2020 in Blog Updates 0 by serendipity_author

WE ARE BORN TO LEARN

Childhood is about constant change. Every second, every minute, children are growing and changing: in stature, in knowledge, and in personal and interpersonal skills and abilities. Ironically, and seemingly in spite of this, children crave stability; they often find it difficult to understand and process change, to be forgiving of themselves as they learn to master new things, to appreciate the power of their own potential. But no one is born with knowledge–we are born to learn, and as long as we’re living, we never stop learning. This is why it is so important for us as parents, educators, and mentors to teach and nurture the whole child, and to introduce Growth Mindset thinking at a young age. Growth Mindset is a growth and learning philosophy that states that with the right attitude and approach, EVERYONE CAN.

Growth Mindset is a term coined by Carol Dweck, a Stanford University psychologist and made popular by her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. According to Dweck, mindset is a “self-theory” or a personal perception—it’s how we feel about ourselves. A person with a fixed mindset believes that personal abilities are facts that cannot be changed–they say, “I can’t.” Conversely, says Dweck, people with a growth mindset “believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.” A person with a growth mindset says either, “I CAN” or “I can’t… YET, but I will keep working and trying until I CAN.”

When learning to develop a Growth Mindset at any age it is important to understand how the brain works and to be aware that different types of mindsets exist and (most importantly) can be changed. Developing a Growth Mindset becomes increasingly difficult (but is still possible), the more rooted the individual becomes in a fixed mindset. For this reason, it is easier for children to cultivate a Growth Mindset than adults, because their habits have not yet become so ingrained. This means that a child who learns early on to adopt and nurture a Growth Mindset has the potential for incredible growth and success.

Dweck says that these six things can help to guide the individual in the development of a Growth Mindset.