Mistakes are Great Learning Opportunities....Celebrate them Together!

Many of us are embarrassed by the mistakes we make.  When our children make mistakes, we tend to blame them, shame them, and make them feel bad.  No wonder our kids hide their mistakes!  Who wants to be made to feel bad? 

What can we do differently?  Celebrate mistakes and use them as learning opportunities!  We should model this behavior.  It can be simple things, like, ."I forgot to buy milk!  My mistake!  What can I learn from this?  I should write the things down that I need at the store so I don't forget them." It can be more challenging things, like, "I made a big mistake at work today.  I didn't check that my computer was set up properly before I started my power point presentation.  Boy, was I ever embarrassed!  I learned that I really need to take the time to check the equipment before I present."

The next time your child makes a mistake, you can help them by celebrating it rather than blaming, shaming and embarrassing them.  You then can help them learn from their mistakes by asking probing questions....what did you learn?  what would you do differently next time? 

By you as a parent showing your children that mistakes are okay to make, okay to be open about, and opportunities to learn, you are giving them a huge gift.  And remember, we all learn when we feel good, not when we feel bad. 

This is one of the many tools you can learn and practice in our 6-week  Parenting the Positive Discipline Way classes.  If you would like to learn more, please come to a free introductory class or sign up for a six-week parenting class - visit www.positivedisciplinewesternct.org

Next free introductory classes will be held:

Thursday, August 29, 7-9PM at Brookfield Library, pre-registration required to hilarybenami@gmail.com

Tuesday, September 10, 7-9 PM at Brookfield Library, pre-register with carol@positivedisciplinewesternct.org