- Hi, my name is Jen Ford and I'm the school counselor at Wylandville Elementary, and this is my Teachable Moment.

As adults, we know that everyone makes mistakes.

Kids, however, struggle with many different feelings surrounding their mistakes.

They may feel embarrassed, worried, or frustrated.

So how can we make kids more comfortable with making mistakes?

By modeling what we do when we make them ourselves.

So next time you find yourself in the midst of a mistake when your child is around, name the mistake, describe how it happened, and talk through the steps that you are taking to fix it.

Your child will take note of your problem solving process, and may even pitch in their own ideas to help.

The more they see problem solving in action, the more empowered they will feel when it's their turn to be the problem solvers.

So next time you make a mistake, don't sweep it under the rug.

Celebrate it, bring attention to it.

Use it as a teaching tool to show your children that everybody makes mistakes and that we can all be problem solvers.

- [Child] IQ Smart Parent Teachable Moments are funded in part by the Grable Foundation.