Learning Grit at a Young Age

You’ve likely heard people talking about the importance of grit and perseverance. Psychologist Angela Duckworth’s research has shown that grit, “a passion and perseverance for long-term goals”, is the secret to achievement — not simply talent. Grit is more than just sticking with something — it’s learning, rising from setbacks and seeing them as opportunities, and responding to challenges as you pursue something you love. What we find so interesting is the fact that infants and toddlers are naturally doing this all the time! Our babies are not afraid of failing.

So how can we nurture this trait so that it continues to grow and flourish as our kids get older? Let your child tackle manageable challenges, and resist the urge to “save” her. Setting up manageable challenges — where your child is set up to succeed — is also known as “scaffolding”. Scaffolding is a way for children to learn new skills that are just beyond their current abilities, through the support of someone who is more experienced. When you play together, you can set up a scenario where your child tries something new. You can model first, then hang back to let her try. Control your urge to swoop in unless you really need to keep her safe. Offer encouragement, talk about any setbacks your child is facing and talk about alternatives that she can try.

Think about how much grit and persistence you have — you can take this quiz to measure your grit score: https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-scale/. Children learn from example, so what can you do to promote your own level of grit?