Have you got a growth mindset?
Oct 11, 2016A week before we left for the British Virgin Islands, Leon and Amelie got invited to a roller disco party. Amelie is 3 years older and had been before so she was very excited. Leon was somewhat more apprehensive!
‘Why can’t you come with me?’ Leon asked Susan.
‘Because, we are going to be in America!’ Susan said for the 4th time in 2 minutes. (We weren’t actually going to be in America, but all the children understand that America means away for some sleeps!)
‘But I’m terrible at roller skating! I’ll be the worst one there. It’s just not fair!’ Leon was getting very distressed.
‘You’ll be ok Leon’ Amelie said as encouragingly as she possibly could, ‘you’ve just got to try and do your best and you’ll be fine. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t done it before, you’ll soon learn.’
‘I can’t do it, I’ll be rubbish!’
Amelie stooped to look in Leon’s sad eyes and said ‘You’ve just got to have a growth mindset Leon!’
Susan and I looked at each other, where on earth did that come from?!
After all the kids were tucked up in bed, we laughed about how grown up our 10-year-old teenage daughter was!
‘Where did she hear that from?’ I said out loud, expecting Susan to say - from you of course, during one of your family seminars!
‘I think she got it from me.’ Susan said.
‘I don’t think so .. I think it was me!’ I said laughing.
We then spent the next twenty minutes half-joking about which one of us had influenced Amelie in such a positive way.
We finally agreed that it was probably from both of us.
‘You know, before we had children, success was really just about growing ourselves wasn’t it .. but now, success is all about growing others.’ I said.
‘I think we’re doing a pretty good job with all four of them!’ Susan said with a smile.
The next morning Amelie was first down for breakfast as usual.
‘Where did you hear about the growth mindset Amelie?’ I asked her, sure that I was going to wrap this somewhat unresolved matter up very satisfactorily, before Susan came down. I waited smugly for her eventual obvious reply.
‘From Mrs Cabbit at school’ Amelie said matter-of-factly.
So there we are. It wasn't me nor Susan, but a teacher at Amelie's school. What a wonderful collective achievement .. if you stop worrying about who gets the credit of course!
‘Why can’t you come with me?’ Leon asked Susan.
‘Because, we are going to be in America!’ Susan said for the 4th time in 2 minutes. (We weren’t actually going to be in America, but all the children understand that America means away for some sleeps!)
‘But I’m terrible at roller skating! I’ll be the worst one there. It’s just not fair!’ Leon was getting very distressed.
‘You’ll be ok Leon’ Amelie said as encouragingly as she possibly could, ‘you’ve just got to try and do your best and you’ll be fine. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t done it before, you’ll soon learn.’
‘I can’t do it, I’ll be rubbish!’
Amelie stooped to look in Leon’s sad eyes and said ‘You’ve just got to have a growth mindset Leon!’
Susan and I looked at each other, where on earth did that come from?!
After all the kids were tucked up in bed, we laughed about how grown up our 10-year-old teenage daughter was!
‘Where did she hear that from?’ I said out loud, expecting Susan to say - from you of course, during one of your family seminars!
‘I think she got it from me.’ Susan said.
‘I don’t think so .. I think it was me!’ I said laughing.
We then spent the next twenty minutes half-joking about which one of us had influenced Amelie in such a positive way.
We finally agreed that it was probably from both of us.
‘You know, before we had children, success was really just about growing ourselves wasn’t it .. but now, success is all about growing others.’ I said.
‘I think we’re doing a pretty good job with all four of them!’ Susan said with a smile.
The next morning Amelie was first down for breakfast as usual.
‘Where did you hear about the growth mindset Amelie?’ I asked her, sure that I was going to wrap this somewhat unresolved matter up very satisfactorily, before Susan came down. I waited smugly for her eventual obvious reply.
‘From Mrs Cabbit at school’ Amelie said matter-of-factly.
So there we are. It wasn't me nor Susan, but a teacher at Amelie's school. What a wonderful collective achievement .. if you stop worrying about who gets the credit of course!
And kudos to our girl, Leon did end up trying the roller skating also, so it was an all-round success. It sure does take a village :)
Until next time ..
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