5 Ways to Practice Perseverance as a Family

What is perseverance? In the “Perseverance” episode of “PBS KIDS Talk About,” 10-year-old Karli defines perseverance as seeing something through to the end “because it’s like not giving up.” Kids need perseverance to overcome obstacles and accomplish big goals, but parents can help children practice perseverance in their everyday challenges, too. When her father relates the word “determination” to the concept of perseverance, 10-year-old Braxton says, “It means trying your best, never giving up.” When it comes to building skills in perseverance, kids may approach how to try their best and not give up differently based on their interests and experiences.

Set small goals. In the “Perseverance” episode, Isaac Jr. shares that he wants to be a great baseball player. His parents encourage him to keep going to baseball practice. Isaac Jr.’s dad reminds him of how much practice it took for him to throw the ball straight. By working on one aspect of the game at a time, Issac Jr. could see his growth as a player and gain confidence in working on other skills required for the game. Help your child figure out the steps they need to take to accomplish a goal. This will show them that achieving small wins can lead to something big.

Normalize mistakes. Talk to your child about the importance of seeing mistakes positively and as a natural part of the learning process. Mistakes help us understand what skills we need to work on. By making mistakes and seeing your positive reaction to them, your child can work on trying again and problem solving to move forward on accomplishing their goal.

Figure out feelings together. Your child may feel frustrated or disappointed while they work towards a goal — and that’s OK. Perhaps they have tried to achieve a goal and no matter what they do, they can’t reach it. In the “Perseverance” episode, Aanya shares that she tried to become her class representative five years in a row. She talks about the feelings she experienced during the process. Because her father supported her by making campaign posters and talking her through her disappointment, she could be positive, enthusiastic and calm. Despite experiencing disappointment, Aanya reflects on the experience by saying, “Things maybe don’t go your way, but you keep trying and trying. You just keep going.” When your child experiences frustration while working towards a goal, support them by taking deep breaths together, pausing to review the situation calmly, and reflecting on times when your child succeeded in persevering to achieve a goal.

Cheer on as your child follows their passions and interests. One reason Aanya eventually succeeded in becoming class representative is that she was passionate about her goal. She was determined to be class representative and continued pushing towards that goal. The surest recipe for success in encouraging perseverance is supporting your child with something they are passionate about. Since the motivation comes from within, they may feel more invested to persevere when faced with difficult situations and obstacles. In the “Perseverance” episode, Naura talks about how she practiced ballet four times a week for her “Nutcracker” audition even though it was hard. She never gave up and was surprised when she was called to be in the show! Persevering to accomplish a goal your child enjoys won’t always be easy, but it can lead to something they love in the end.

Encourage your child to get support — and support others. Talk about the importance of supporting friends and family. In the video, Aanya tells Naura “all that perseverance paid off!” after talking about her accomplishments in ballet. We also see Braxton also tells her dad that without his and her mama’s encouragement, she probably would have given up. She adds that with their encouragement, she can persevere through challenges. When your child sees you supporting them, they learn that they can also support others.

As you talk to your child about perseverance, use concrete examples such as stories from your childhood or from books and shows, to explain how perseverance prepares us to tackle challenges. Talking about it will help your child develop the skills, discipline and goals in a positive way.