Handling Fear Of Failure In Children

There can be no doubt whatsoever it is the fear of failure that will stop your children from achieving the success that they deserve for their efforts.

Apparently, according to researchers, fear of failure has reached almost epidemic proportions in the United States of America today, and it is this fear that will prevent them from giving everything they do the best efforts they can.

What causes this fear in our children? Perhaps, feel experts, it is the popular culture of today that has fostered and encouraged this fear of failure, and it is popular culture that defines failures as being unpopular, unattractive, weak and powerless, and as being people who are teased, bullied, laughed at and discriminated against.emotion

Therefore, children may reason, “If I am a failure, then I will be laughed at all my life. This means that I must never ever fail at anything.” This in itself will make children fear failure more than they may fear anything else at the sensitive age they are in.

This is the reason why they learn at an early age that it is a better idea to avoid failure than to try something and face failure when and if it comes.

On the other hand, if they feel, they try to make up excuses for their behavior by saying things like: “I would have done well, but I was not treated fairly” or some such.

How does one avoid fear of failure in children?

Here are some tips:

  • Learn and teach your children how to face fear of failure positively. In other words, bring up your children to face anything bravely and with courage and to bounce back with resilience whenever anything happens. Children need to be given the tools as well as the mentality to be able to face failure without fear, and this is one sure fire way to make your children confident and persistent.
  • Talk to your children and tell them that unless and until they are prepared to take certain risks in life, and therefore, face failure or success, whatever may come their way, they would not be able to progress in life. There are some children who will completely refuse to get involved in school and social activities because they are afraid to take the risk of failure and the accompanying social ostracism and embarrassment and loss of self esteem.
  • Parents must tell their children in no uncertain terms that failure is a part and parcel of life, and that if they have done something wrong, they must learn how to cope with it and adapt to the changed circumstances.

This way, children will get to know and recognize that success and failure are close buddies, and that where there is one the other will follow and to adopt a positive attitude and be prepared to face whatever may come.

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