Month: July 2020

Establishing a Growth Mindset

In this podcast, Todd and Julie Fisher discuss the difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset and why nurturing a growth mindset leads to improved emotional and mental wellness. According to psychologist, Carol Dweck, when people believe that failure isn’t a barometer of innate characteristics but rather look at it as a step to success, they are more likely to put in the effort that will eventually lead to that success. A recent Education Week Research Center survey of teachers found that 90% believe that adopting and nurturing a growth mindset in kids leads to positive outcomes in both academics and social skills for kids. Todd and Julie discuss what a growth mindset looks like and how parents can role model a growth mindset themselves to help their kids develop a growth mindset instead of a fixed mindset.

The Connection Between Competency and Mental Well Being

In this podcast, Todd and Julie Fisher discuss how feeling competent and capable affects kids’ mental well-being. When parents are quick to step in to “help”, they rob kids of the experience to fail or make mistakes. While it’s often easier and faster to instruct them what to do or how to do it, what parents are really doing is robbing children of the opportunity to learn that they, themselves, can solve their problems. When parents don’t allow kids those crucial learning opportunities, what they are often saying (without actually saying the words) is “I don’t trust you to do it right”. Todd and Julie discuss how parents’ actions and reactions affect kids’ feelings about competence as well as ways for parents to step back and allow their kids to learn that they can become competent when they persevere.