How to teach the child to admit his mistakes

This may sound strange, because no one likes to admit their mistakes, not even the most motivated adults. Mistakes can be disputes or difficulties that prevent us from reaching our goals as quickly as we hoped. Wouldn’t it be better if we did everything right the first time? Not always, claims Nina Garcia, blogger at www.sleepingshouldbeeasy.com.

Their mistakes and benefits

– Mistakes make children more modest. No one is perfect, and children must realize that they cannot and should not aspire to such a thing. We do not reach our goals immediately, instead, we go through many mistakes and trials.

– Mistakes focus on the process, not the end result. The journey towards the goal is more beneficial than reaching the end by any means possible.

– Mistakes encourage children not to give up. If you want to have brave and persistent children, mistakes are necessary in reaching the goals.

– Mistakes help the child to find solutions. Rather than feeling defeated, he will look at what he can improve or what he did wrong to correct.

Mistakes are the best teachers

We rarely reach our achievements on the first try. No personality reached the top in a single day. Instead, we learn from mistakes. They show us the steps we should not take or how to do things differently. Mistakes reveal to us what things and tactics we should reconsider.

Our reaction to children’s mistakes can send different messages. Let’s say you told the little one to put his plate in the sink. Except that he didn’t “put” them, but threw them, thinking that’s how it’s done. As a result, a glass that was in the sink broke. You can scold the little one for his mistake. He knows he did something wrong because he caused the glass to break. The child may even feel confused because he thought he was following instructions. What if, instead, you held onto your disappointment and focused on what the child might do next time? You could show him how to put his plate in the sink. You could let him try again, this time without throwing it away. Show him that, when mistakes still happen, they can also serve a purpose – he learned how to put the plate in the sink correctly.

And parents must admit their mistakes

Parents will fail to convey the message that mistakes are okay as long as they deny their own mistakes. Your mistakes can be as simple as spilling the glass of water on the table. Or you can admit to deeper mistakes, like yelling at a child, and then apologize.

You can also describe moments in your life when you did something wrong. Without glorifying the mistakes, you can mention the simplest ones, so that the child does not feel alone.

Don’t save your child from all mistakes

When we save our children from all mistakes, we actually deny them the opportunity to learn. We will not be able (nor should we) save our children from all the disappointments of life. Teaching them how to cope and how to learn from their mistakes is much more important than saving them every time.

Thank the child when he admits his mistakes

It is difficult for all of us to admit our mistakes. When you notice that the little one has recognized his mistake, thank him for doing it. This will not encourage him to do harm. He won’t think, “Wow, my mom appreciated me for being honest. I’m going to hit my brother with the ball again!”. The child will understand that it is good to tell the truth and wrong to hit his brother with the ball.