Embracing Challenge

29 August 2019

Whilst taking your children to the park, one runs ahead of the other. Your older child reaches the playground equipment and the younger sibling throws themselves on the ground because they weren’t ‘first’. Or what about this scenario? Your child is completing homework and is stuck on a question, they quickly become frustrated and slam their book closed.

Do you have moments like these in your house? Likely, the answer is yes, we all do! What is the natural thing to do in these situations? Tell your older child to let their younger sibling be first? Jump in and do their homework for them? Problem solved. Crisis averted.

Learning how to regulate emotions is a key aspect of childhood development. Viewing challenges such as failure, frustration and disappointment as an opportunity to learn and grow is a vital step in developing resilience and allowing young people to thrive in later life.

The ‘20 second rule’ is a great one to apply in holding ourselves back when our children communicate an initial frustration. Allowing children to experience the emotion can help them learn how to successfully deal with that emotion. By stepping in to remove obstacles or instantly fix things for children we deprive them of a chance to learn not only the task or the skill, but also to manage the emotions that come along with challenge.

At St. Peter’s, we are committed to the task of developing resilient students who are prepared to take risks in their learning. Students are encouraged to challenge themselves and step out of their comfort zones. They are presented with thought provoking questions and afforded the opportunity to wrestle with new concepts under the watchful eye of their teachers. It’s important for children to feel supported and know there is guidance and help available when required. It’s a matter of finding the right balance to also allow students to develop greater independence, perseverance and the reflection skills necessary to successfully navigate and even embrace the challenges that life can present. The journey continues.