Growing from Mistakes

Parents, particularly parents of preteens, teens and young adults, can find themselves searching for answers to explain their child’s behavior. This often leads to dwelling on perceived parental mistakes made in the past, or mistakes made by others-doctors, teachers, other parents and anyone else who might have had impact on the child. Human beings make mistakes. In this episode we discuss both the importance of acknowledging mistakes and also how to learn from those mistakes. By understanding what might now, in hindsight, be considered a mistake, parents can strengthen themselves and their relationships with their kids. It is also important that parents understand the possibility that not everything that happens is a mistake, some actions are just simply human beings being human. When parents acknowledge that truth, they are modeling honesty and responsibility, rather than shame and blame. Parents who learn to practice this growth mindset can have open honest conversations and build a foundation of trust with their adolescent children.