30 Days to Becoming a Better Parent Day 28: Teaching Perseverance

Having your children know how to stick to the things that they start is one of the most important things that you can teach as a parent. The skills that you teach them regarding this will be ones that will continue to show up as your children get older and older.

Hopefully, once your child reaches adulthood they are ready to be able to take the world on with full force and understand what they must do to be able to survive in a challenging world.

So how can you do this as a parent? Here are a few thoughts on things you can do to help your child:

Applaud Efforts
Notice and applaud things that your child does that shows that they are striving toward a goal. Even if they do not succeed, heep encouraging and helping them to see that the goal is possible. You may even need to roll up your own sleeves to lend a hand (if asked – don’t rescue them completely as this may have the opposite effect).

Honest Feedback
Give your child honest feedback on how they are doing as they strive to meet the goal or task at hand. If they need to work on an area let them know. Do not tear them down, but build them up and let them know that you are behind them in what they are trying to achieve. Communicating though is key, so that they know that they are not alone and that they do have support if they choose to ask.

Identify and work past obstacles
Sometimes our children need some assistance in seeing the boulders in the path ahead. Make sure to ask them if they want advice before you give it and be wary of those children that always come to you for your advice. With these children, the better question may be, how do you think you can overcome this obstacle? By doing this you are continuing to challenge them and asking them to be creative with their solutions and not to merely rely on others for answers.

Being able to bounce back
The ultimate goal as I stated earlier is to have children who can get back up when they stumble or fall. We all want our kids to be successful and to be able to achieve all that they wish for in life, but we also know that no one is able to achieve everything without some failures along the way. The important thing is that our children do not give up, but instead they have the fortitude to stand back up, brush off their ego and move forward again.

Some questions you should ask yourself include:
  • How have I been persistent in the past?
  • What traits do I see in others that allow them to be persistent in their goals and in life?
  • What goals have I set for myself that I have achieved and how id I achieve these goals?
  • In what areas of my child’s life have I noticed persistence?
As you begin to answer these questions you may find it necessary to revisit them over time as your answers and definitely the answers about your children will change as you all change and grow.
In researching this topic I came across a few sites that I thought that I would share with all of you:

So today’s task is to answer the above questions. Second, come up with a list of 5 ways that you encourage persistence in your child.  Once complete, please come back and share your list with others.

If you are so inclined please leave your responses in a comment below or link to a blog post if you are going to commit to joining me on this journey so that others can learn from you as well. Good luck with day 28 and I look forward to your thoughts and comments!


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About dadofdivas

I am a father of two girls who everyday works to regain control of my kingdom. Is this even possible in a divadom? This blog is dedicated to chronicling my experiences and challenges in being a father as well as providing some food for thought to other dads. History of this Blog - I started writing this blog full time in January 2008 prior to my second daughters' birth. Since then, the blog has exponentially grown and I have continued to find my groove through both reading and networking with other bloggers as well as writing on a myriad of varying topics. Outside of home I am a Student Affairs Professional who has been working in the field of College Administration now for 12 years with extensive experience in precollege planning, admission, advising, and other areas.