Determination Not To Quit
Nobody wants to be a quitter, but quitting is too easy. If we don’t teach our children determination, they will grow to be quitters. It’s human nature to be lazy. We must teach are children determination to succeed.
Our lives have too many distractions for children – Xboxes, iTouches, Playstations, and more. There is always a new game, a new app or a new youtube video to watch. These distractions take away from our focus on important tasks (like school, education, and learning).
My oldest child is a good example for learning determination. He has a learning disability and that means he has to work harder than other children to focus and complete this school work. He is capable and able to learn, but he does have to work harder. We have added tutors and therapists to help with reading, writing, and speech. We have helped him develop a determination to succeed and do his best in school. A large part of his determination is his attitude.
Teaching Determination to Succeed
School and life are not a sprint, but a marathon.
Marathon runners don’t run a short fast sprint at the beginning of the race, they would tire too quickly. To build endurance for life’s challenges, our children must learn how to pace themselves for life. School and education take many years. It’s not one semester or even one year, education builds over many years.
Begin early with your child and show them to always to their best and keep a pace for improving. Determination will help you complete the long tasks.
Setbacks are not permanent
Our children (and ourselves) need to recognize that setbacks are not permanent. We will not achieve perfection or the highest level every time. Just as success does not last forever, set-backs are not permanent either. But we always work toward doing our best.
Individuals with determination, don’t quit. When they have a set-back, they just get up and start over. They accept responsibility for their past mistakes and learn how to do it right next time.
Determined individuals know that sometimes the greatest successes come after or biggest failures.
Set Goals
Goals help us know that we are making progress and achieving success. Determination helps us reach our goals, but we can’t just be aiming in the dark. Clear goals will help us see our progress.
Every nine weeks school will send home grades. Reviewing your child’s report card with them and setting new goals for the next nine weeks will help you and your child. The goals needs to be realistic.
It would not be realistic to expect your child who gets mostly C’s to suddenly get all A’s. But is is realistic to set a goal to improve from a C to a B- or if you have a low C (example a 71, work to raise that average to a high C or 78).
I can tell my children “do your best in school”, but I can also set goals to help them know what I expect and how the will active that goal.
You could also set goals in sports to improve to the “first string team” (you would probably need additional goals to achieve this – like practice an extra 30 minutes every day) or in fine arts like practicing your piano every day for 30 minutes.
Attitude for Success
Attitude can change everything. A winning attitude will create a winner. A determined attitude will create success. A negative attitude will lead to discouragement, failures and quitting.
Encourage your child with the “I can” attitude. No “I can’t” at our house. My mom always said “Can’t never could do anything.” That’s so true – “can’t” will do nothing.
Positive attitudes will be determined and succeed.
Your Turn…
How do you teach your children determination?
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