Letting your kids fail helps them learn, and one teacher has shared five reasons why. Here's what you need to know...
As children move through the child development stages, they're learning new things all the time. Parenting styles and types of play can influence their development, but one expert has shared that even making mistakes is important for children's learning, arguing that we should be allowing our children to fail more often.
Katie Plunkett - aka @kidtalk.co on Instagram - is a full-time teacher and educator, and is passionate about child development. She's gained over 350,000 followers on Instagram for her parenting advice and, most recently, she's shared why it can be crucial to allow your kid to fail.
In a carousel post titled, "You should let your kid fail. Here's why..." Katie shares five reasons why it can be beneficial for children to make mistakes. In the caption she writes, "It’s okay (and actually very beneficial) to let our kids experience failure. It helps them to build character, enhance problem-solving capabilities, learn from mistakes, gain independence, and develop emotional intelligence."
Katie adds, "When we shield our kids from ever experiencing failure, we are shielding them from all of its benefits, too."
5 reasons why you should let your kid fail
- Experiencing failure builds character: Research by Dr. Carol Dweck indicates that kids who have experienced failure are more likely to be empathetic and show kindness.
- Experiencing failure enhances problem solving: According to a study in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, children who fail and try again approach problems more creatively in the future.
- Experiencing failure leads to learning: Research by clinical psychologist Dr Jason Moser shows that making mistakes enhances brain activity, prompting deeper learning.
- Experiencing failure fosters independence: Developmental scientist Dr Holly Brophy-Herb notes that children who tackle their own problems often grow into adults with greater confidence and decision-making abilities.
- Experiencing failure builds emotional intelligence: Children with the opportunity to make mistakes learn to manage disappointment, maintain motivation and develop adaptive skills.
Acknowledging that it's not easy for parents to see their children fail, Katie explains, "I know, it can be an absolute gut-punch to watch our kids struggle - but it’s an essential part of their growth. Failure is inescapable in the real world. Don’t we want our little ones to develop the toolset to handle this on their own in the future?"
And Katie's followers were quick to agree with her advice. One Instagram user commented, "I absolutely agree. When they fail, they learn. We just have to be there to let them understand the situation and guide them through it". Another added, "Great post. Let them learn instead of fixing everything for them will make them independent".
Meanwhile, many were quick to add that the advice applies to everyone, not just kids. One follower commented, "True for any age. Don’t make excuses for them but help them sit with it, learn and then move on and don’t dwell on it further." Another user wrote, "It's holds relevant to the grown up adults too".
In other parenting news, we've looked at why teaching your child to be obedient could actually cause them more harm than good, and why LEGO is great for young children’s development. Elsewhere, a child psychologist has shared three reasons why punishments don’t improve kids’ behaviour – and #2 makes so much sense.
