Growth Mindset Parenting: Make Sure Learners Get a Chance to THINK!! (part 3)

After laying the groundwork for your children by discussing how the brain works, focus on your environment. In Teaching Kids to Thrive: Essential Skills for Success, Silver and Stafford suggest six ways to create a supportive learning environment that emphasizes effort, practice and determination (2017). These ideas can be applied in our day-to-day parenting.

#1. Growth Mindset Parents Make Sure Learners Get a Chance to Think.

In a growth mindset way of parenting, the adults do not give away “the answer.” They provide the children with the time and support needed to struggle. As a growth mindset parent, you can encourage your young ones when problem solving by saying, “Can you think of a new way to try that?” “You’re on the right track!” This is particularly helpful when a child is building with blocks, figuring out how to carry all their toys to a new place or working on gross motor skills on the playground. Do you want to “rescue” them by telling them how to do it in the most effective way or by simply doing it yourself? As easy as both are to do, don’t! Try waiting. After offering a guiding question, wait at least three seconds before taking an answer. This allows the child a chance to process the question and formulate an answer. If a child incorrectly answers, try waiting five seconds (Stahl, 1994) This encourages the learner to use their problem-solving skills to sort out another possibility.

Be comfortable with silence. Just wait! After they’ve been given “think time,” try asking something like “Walk me through your process.” “How did you reach that conclusion?” or “What is another possible answer?” before providing any more support. This allows your child to think about how they got their answer and if other possibilities exist. Try this method out in the coming weeks and watch your child’s thinking develop before your very eyes!

Allow your child a chance to watch this short video about how we expand our brains and build new neurons. Our monster buddies MoJo and Katie learn they have the power to change how their neurons are wired together and learn by doing challenging things!