Persistence (You Can Do It!)
Young children who are persistent keep on trying when things seem hard or not fun. They try hard to complete tasks and activities at school and home and do their chores without always having to be reminded. They seem to know that, to be successful, they sometimes have to work hard and not give up. As well, children who are persistent believe that the harder they try, the better they get.
Examples of persistent behaviour in your child
- Cleans up after playing with an activity even though he/she doesn't want to.
- Finishes a new puzzle even if he/she needs to ask for help.
- Keeps trying when learning to write neatly even though it takes them longer to complete homework.
- Tries to draw something that is hard and doesn't give up.
- Does not get distracted when doing homework and look for excuses not to finish.
- Does what he/she says he/she will do.
Ways to praise your child for persistent behaviour
- 'You really put a lot of work into that.'
- 'You really tried hard. Doesn't that feel good.'
- 'Good for you. You didn't give up.'
- 'You found that hard, but you kept trying.'
- 'Well done, you did that even though it was not easy or fun.'
- 'The more you practise the better you become.'
Talk to your child about persistent thinking
- I can do it (when work is hard, I can do it).
- Giving effort (The harder I try, the better I will get.) It won't happen immediately but it will happen.
- Working tough (to do the beast I can, I sometimes have to do things that are not easy or fun.)
Practical things you can do to develop persistence in your child
- Provide your child with accurate feedback concerning the amount of effort he/she is expending and how much effort and time is really needed to complete a task such as project or task.
- Discuss with your child repeatedly how his/her big efforts result in learning or success.
- Provide strong, immediate reinforcement for effort your child puts toward work that he/she finds hard or boring (especially jobs around the home and homework).
- Praise your child when he/she willingly does a task that is not fun without complaining.
- Catch your child doing something that requires effort, and praise him/her for trying hard.
- Praise your child for ongoing hard work.