_edited.png)
Weekly One | Re-Framing Mistakes | Email #5
Each Sunday, I send the Daring Dyslexic community an email with actionable strategies to boost your child's confidence, mindset, and self-esteem. Join my supportive community and receive practical, step-by-step tools delivered straight to your inbox – because your child's success story starts with just one small action each week.
A school day with dyslexia can be tough, and mistakes are often aplenty. But for our children, it's not the mistakes that are the real challenge; it's how they perceive them.
Because the reality is that mistakes are part of the learning process and, in fact, a crucial part. So, how can we reframe the belief that mistakes are wrong?
Reframing Mistakes
Step 1: It's going to start with you. You as a parent or educator need to believe that it's OK to make mistakes, that you too are learning every day, and that mistakes are not only proof that you are trying but also an indicator that you are learning something new and that should be celebrated, at any age!
Step 2: Shift the dialogue around mistakes. Many years ago, I heard Sara Blakey, the founder of Spanx, talk about how every night as a child, her father would sit down and ask her what mistakes she made that day. Not as a way of shaming her but as validation that she was increasing her capabilities and pushing her comfort zone. She spoke about how he was disappointed on the days she said: "I didn't make any." She attributes this to her resilience and success in the entrepreneurial world. It resonated with me, so whilst I don't do this every night, I do it often and always start with myself.
Example: The other day, on the way home from school, we were chatting about our day. I told my son I had made a mistake in his soccer registration for this season and learned that next time, I need to check all the details before submitting them. I didn't beat myself up about it; I owned it and the lesson that came from it. He went on to share how he'd made a mistake in his spelling test, but it was ok, and he thinks he'll remember it for next time — a contrasting difference from not that long ago.
Start with you and start small. You can invite them to share, but don't worry if they don't. It may take time, particularly if mistakes have equalled shame for some time. But with consistency, you will help rewire the belief that mistakes are bad.
You've got this!
B 💜
Comments