What do Thomas Edison , James Dyson, & Colonel Sanders Have in Common?
5 reasons why failures are good for children & 3 tips to help your child succeed.
Thomas Edison revolutionized the field of electric lighting and power systems.
James Dyson founded the company Dyson, a leading technology company known for its vacuum cleaners.
Colonel Sanders founded Kentucky Fried Chicken, a global fast-food chain.
What do the three of them have in common?
They failed more than a thousand times. James Dyson has created over 5,000 prototypes of his vacuum cleaners.
Although not everyone who fails succeeds, everyone who succeeds has failed at some point.
Failure is essential for success, but it is never pleasant. When children fail, and you have the urge to do it for them or fix it for them, you need to remember that failures are good for children. Here's why:
5 Reasons why failures are good for children
Reason 1: Failures produce perseverance
"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston S. Churchill
A group of 3rd-grade students wanted to see the principal to pitch an idea. The principal was in a meeting when the 3rd-grade students asked the receptionist and were unable to see them.
The 3rd-grade students came back the next day, but the principal was in a classroom. They tried again at lunchtime, but the principal was helping another student with an issue.
They tried for 3 days until the principal finally could see them during recess. They persisted and got their project approved, and the principal mentored them and gave them the opportunity to share their project during chapel.
Failure produces perseverance that eventually leads to success.
Reason 2: Failures are learning opportunities
"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently." - Henry Ford.
Failure simply means this approach doesn't work. Try again.
Each failure is a learning opportunity on what doesn't work. Children have creativity and curiosity, and they use each failure as a learning opportunity.
A 4th-grade student was playing Connect 4 with her older cousin, and she kept losing. She tried different tactics each time. She would lose over and over again. She tried for weeks. Until one day, the 4th-grade student beat the cousin by trying a new approach to the game.
Each time she failed, she learned from that experience and tried something new.
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." - Thomas Edison.
Reason 3: Failures encourage exploration, experimentation, and problem-solving
"It is impossible to live without failing at something unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default." - J.K. Rowling.
When something doesn't work, children naturally explore new ways to do something. It might not be the best way, and it might be really busy, but failure encourages exploration and experimentation that eventually leads to problem-solving.
A 2nd-grade student tried to glue a few pieces of paper onto a poster board, but the glue kept sticking to his hand. He tried to use different fingers, but the paper kept sticking to his hand. Finally, he started trying other tools, like scissors, but he would accidentally cut the paper in half.
All of a sudden, he ran into the kitchen, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, and successfully glued the paper on the poster board without getting his hands sticky.
This creative problem-solving came from exploration and experimentation.
Reason 4: Failures teach consequences and responsibilities
"The true measure of success is not just achieving your goals but also being accountable for the consequences of your actions." - Unknown
Failures come with consequences.
When a child holds a milk carton heavier than they can handle, they spill. When that happens, the parents tell the child to clean it up with a mop. The child took a few minutes to clean up and learned how much weight he could actually hold. He was really careful the next time around because he didn't enjoy cleaning up the milk on the counter, on the shelves, and on the floor.
The child has learned to be more responsible through failure.
Reason 5: Failure can lead to success that builds confidence
"Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor." - Truman Capote
A 4th-grade student was asked to make an owl from a pinecone as part of the class activity. After the class, the child threw the pinecone in the trash. When the teacher asked the student, "Why did you throw it in the trash?" the student said, "It doesn't look good."
The teacher insisted that the child pick up the pinecone. Then, the teacher spent time with the child the next day to adjust the project.
After the student had tried a few times and fixed the project, the student was excited to show off the masterpiece.
If the teacher never insisted, the student would never get to experience the joy that comes from succeeding after failing. The student gained confidence in arts & crafts skills—all thanks to the teacher who insisted on turning failures into success.
Success is sweeter when there are multiple failures.
3 Tips for Parents to Help Their Children From Failing to Succeeding:
Tip #1: Wait to Step In.
Wait a few minutes when your child makes a mistake.
See if your child uses a different way to solve the problem. See what resources your child pulls in. Your child might surprise you with their solutions.
Just give them a minute.
Tip #2: Use Open-Ended Questions to Help Them Think Through an Issue.
Open-ended questions unlock children's thinking. Try these:
What happened?
Was it better than you imagined?
What else can you try?
How can you do it differently to get a different result?
Tip #3 Praise Their Effort & Process
Encourage your children and tell them you see their effort. Then, name the progress you've seen. Cheer them on so they can try again.
Embrace Messy Failures
Failure is an essential step for learning.
Allow failures early so your children can learn from experience and get up from them.
Failure is messy but necessary for growth.