The One Parenting Skill That Builds Confidence Through Failure
Do you celebrate mistakes?
My son was washing the blender after making a smoothie. It’s an awkward shape and the sink was full of dishes, so as he went to flip it to rinse it, he accidentally poured a quarter of a jug of dirty water all over the clean dishes on the rack, trickling down into the cupboard and all over the floor.
He looked up at me, searching for my reaction. My initial thoughts were, I have not got time to clean this up. I need to respond to a client before we leave for an activity. As I was about to yell something, I took five seconds to pause.
In those five seconds, I gave myself the choice in how I wanted to respond. Choosing our response is one of the most important skills we can learn as parents because a child creates meaning based on how we respond.
My son said, “Oh snap!” and started cleaning it up. I began to help him, and by that time I had calmed down enough to say, “Awesome buddy, what are you realising about rinsing out that big jug if the sink is full?”
Mistakes Are a Key Ingredient in the Future of Work
In the future of work, being able to make mistakes and celebrate them is a critical skill for mental resilience. Why?
Because when we are sharing our creativity and our uniqueness, chances are it’s not going to come out perfectly on the first go.... probably not even on the hundredth go.... but each time your experiment fails, you learn something and carry that knowledge forward.
Thomas Edison, who invented the light bulb, famously said, “I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
Why This Matters for Our Children
When we yell or criticise over mistakes, our children can begin to equate failure with shame. But when we model acceptance, reflection, and curiosity, they start to see mistakes as opportunities.
Mistakes aren’t a reflection of failure.... they are proof that we are trying, learning, and growing.
Let’s not make mistakes just “okay.” Let’s encourage and celebrate them. Even when we feel like yelling!
Want to raise a resilient child who isn't afraid to try, fail, and try again? Explore my Stressed to Best Parent Method to help shift your language and support your child's growth mindset.
