How To Encourage Perseverance In Children?
Exercising perseverance in children will allow them to strive to achieve their goals and, above all, to overcome adversity. It is an elemental life value that becomes more important day by day.
According to the Royal Spanish Academy, to persevere is to “remain constant in the pursuit of what has been started, in an attitude or an opinion.” Another meaning refers to ‘last permanently or for a long time’.
Now, is this a characteristic of the society we live in? Everything seems to indicate that no. In fact, today’s world is characterized by constant volatility.
What does not work, is replaced; what is boring, is exchanged for something better. The instantaneity and the wide range of attractions have deteriorated our sense of striving to achieve what we longed for.
Therefore, perseverance in children is a value that has become paramount. It is necessary to work on it to avoid the frustration of unfulfilled objectives or the uncertainty generated by the constant change of goals or plans.
Next, we will see how we can do it and, in addition, why perseverance is a fundamental quality for people.
Benefits of exercising perseverance in children
As positive as it is and generates great satisfaction, perseverance in children is not an easy value to transmit. How to explain that it is worth trying and working hard for something, ignoring the easy and comfortable exits that will surely cross our minds?
It is, then, a meticulous and very conscientious exercise in which parents and teachers must work together. These are the advantages that children will derive from this learning:
- Better school and work performance: for us to do well in school or work, it is essential to put effort and not give in to the first disappointment.
- Deeper and Lasting Social Relationships: Today, friendship and romance are threatened by the vertigo of social media. We have virtually thousands of friends and we are one button away from who we want to meet. This is detrimental to “real” relationships, especially when there is conflict or discomfort in them.
- Emotional fullness and greater self-esteem: Few things generate greater satisfaction than reaching that goal that took so much work. The individual also recognizes their value for having done it and this affects their self-esteem.
- Achievement of sports, cognitive and life goals: both in competition and in life itself, it is necessary to work every day for personal improvement.
Games to work perseverance in children
Playful activities are very important to transmit knowledge and values to children. Through simple and fun games, you can exercise this type of attitude almost without them noticing it. These are some examples.
Construction of pyramids or castles
Construction games are a clear example of the value of perseverance in children. Suggest that they build a pyramid out of plastic cups. If they are bigger, change the glasses for playing cards.
You can play team games in which the ultimate goal is to reach a certain model of house, castle or pyramid. Surely it will not come out on the first try; for the less creative, it can also take a lot of effort. Therefore, it is a very favorable game for this purpose.
Jenga
Classic Jenga is an ideal challenge to test children’s perseverance. Learning how to remove the pieces without collapsing the entire tower is truly difficult for many. It requires work and concentration to achieve it and, likewise, devise strategies to cause the other to throw it away.
Perseverance on TV or in the movies
In the world of animations, there are many very funny fables to encourage perseverance in children. There is a well-known one that you may be overlooking: the squirrel from Ice Age: The Ice Age. In all editions of this film, the squirrel travels the world through thick and thin to obtain his precious nut. If this is not persevering, what is?
On the other hand, we can find animated stories on the web that are very suitable for children. Thus, with the help of well-loved characters, we can transmit this message to children in a didactic way.
Lastly, it is also possible to teach the little one other healthy habits that help to form perseverance. For example, set realistic goals, break them into stages, and, not least, reward yourself for each achievement.
In this way, you will be transmitting to the child tools to develop self-control and to improve himself in his life. Perseverance in children is the best way to train people with the will and desire to improve. Try it; in the long run you will notice the great results.
