Parents need to teach their children not to be scared of making a mistake or think of it as a failure. If children are told that mistakes are terrible this will increase their fear of making them and possibly cause them not to try new things.
It must be stressed to children that they should not strive to be perfect but to do the best they can. Aiming for perfection can create depression in children as they get older.
There was an interesting article in the July 2006 BusinessWeek that discussed how different smart companies have learned from their mistakes. If big companies run by influential people make mistakes that cost the company millions, why can't a child or teen be allowed to make a mistake? For example,Coca-Cola in 1985 rolled out a well-researched new formula they called New Coke. After 79 days they had to take it off the market due to very small sales.
Children should be taught that mistakes are a learning situation that should be accepted. We all make them and we must persevere through the ups and downs to succeed in our goals.
2 comments--Add comment |
