ABSTRACT
Failure is a natural part of life. If kids learn from a failure or mistake, it increases motivation and encourages growth and appropriate risk-taking. If it is overwhelmingly negative, it can paralyze the kids. This chapter discusses case studies of Viola Davis, Steve Jobs, and J. K. Rowling who have overcome failure. Using a series of statements, parents can assess whether their son or daughter has a strong or weak growth mindset, or a fixed mindset. For younger kids, parents will want to use the assessment orally, for elementary age kids, use the yes/no version, and for middle and high schoolers, parents can use the scaled version for their assessment as well as student self-assessment. Encouraging and reinforcing effort are particularly important to build a growth mindset in kids. Grit is an important part of dealing with failure. Grit is the notion of endurance—being persistent and putting forth effort to move forward, despite obstacles.
