ForeWord Indies Finalist, Juvenile Nonfiction - What to Do When
Mistakes Make You Quake guides children and their parents through the
emotions underlying a fear of making mistakes using strategies and
techniques based on cognitive-behavioral principles.
Explorers investigate places they have never been before. These
explorers might take a while to make their discoveries. They might have
trouble understanding their maps. They might make wrong turns. They
might need to start their expedition all over again! If explorers could
not accept their mistakes and keep going, they might never make any
discoveries! Does this sound like you? If you have trouble accepting
mistakes, if you try to be right all the time, or if you worry about
being less than the best, this book is for you!
It's natural to be afraid of making mistakes. You may be afraid of
saying the wrong thing during a meeting or getting lost when traveling
in a new city, for example. Kids can think this way, too. In fact, some
kids are so afraid of making mistakes that they may hold back from
challenges and blame others for their errors. A kid may forgo an
activity for fear of not excelling. Or, a student may fail to complete
assignments on time due to erasing too much, rewriting, or overdoing the
task in some way. Kids who worry about being wrong or making mistakes
may try to control situations to ensure their success, blame others for
their failings, see themselves in a negative light, or be critical in
general. They may have trouble making decisions for fear of making the
wrong one. It's exhausting trying to avoid mistakes--for you and for
your child.
This interactive self-help book is the complete resource for educating,
motivating, and empowering children to cope with mistakes -- so they can
explore new territory without fear! Here are some helpful tips to keep
in mind:
- Emphasize effort more than outcome.
- Let your child make mistakes--don't do your child's work for him.
- Model self-acceptance and lose gracefully.
- Comment on why you're okay when you make a mistake.
- Demonstrate a sense of humor.
- Balance work with play.
- Let your child's achievement be his own--don't measure yourself by
your child's accomplishments (or mistakes).
This book is part of the Magination Press What-to-Do Guides for Kids
series and includes an "Introduction to Parents and Caregivers."
What-to-Guides for Kids(R) are interactive self-help books designed to
guide 6-12 year olds and their parents through the cognitive-behavioral
techniques most often used in the treatment of various psychological
concerns. Engaging, encouraging, and easy to follow, these books
educate, motivate, and empower children to work towards change.
