Letting Kids Fail Is Crucial

When my older son Jack was in high school, he accepted a summer job selling solar panels door-to-door. My first reaction was to tell him not to do it. I felt protective—afraid of the rejection he would face on doorsteps all summer long. I just couldn’t see how my thoughtful son, a good athlete and straight A student, could cope with so much failure.

…

This mindset—what psychologist Carol Dweck calls a growth mindset—is an invaluable resource for children, particularly in a fast-changing world. When my younger son Nick, learning to ski at about age eight, asked me to watch him come down the slope, I dutifully stood at the bottom and waited. After his short run, he looked up and asked, “How did I do?” My response? “You did great!” But instead of the smile I’d expected, Nick looked puzzled, even disappointed, as he replied, “Can’t you tell me what I did wrong so I can get better?”

Read the whole story (subscription may be required): Scientific American