3 min read
As part of our Time Out series, JEMS founder Christine Ma-Lau 劉馬露明 teaches us about why it’s important with children to create some space to make mistakes.
Making mistakes is part of life. You may remember the Miss Universe blunder last year when the presenter gave the crown to the wrong contestant, only to have to retract the prize moments later and give it to the correct winner. Like many who have come before him, he was absolutely lambasted on social media afterwards for making a mistake. I believe in striving for excellence and that includes preparing and doing everything to the best of our ability. But I think there’s something wrong when we are only striving for perfection.
There’s a difference between excellence and perfection. Excellence, to me, denotes the attitude and effort that goes into the final product and the outcome is a result of that attitude and effort. Striving for perfection, however, only takes the final product into consideration, and doesn’t leave room to appreciate the mistakes that may have been made along the way. Today it seems we are slow to compliment but quick to judge; slow to praise what is right but quick to point out what is wrong. We jump quickly at the end result without taking into account what has gone into it.
Some of us do this with our children too. They might come home from school with a quiz they got 18/20 questions correct and we will focus on the two wrong responses, rather than the 18 correct answers.
So the next time your child makes a mistake, take the time out to appreciate their effort in trying, to recognize that it’s an opportunity to learn from the mistake, and to celebrate how it will help them develop the growth mindset. Oh, and don’t forget to do the same with yourself when you stumble!
Christine Ma-Lau's 劉馬露明 passion for educating children in character and values inspired her to establish the JEMS Learning House, a leading institution that provides Character Education to children up to the age of 12. Christine is the Principal of the JEMS Learning House, Adjunct Professor at the Education University of Hong Kong and Founding Chairperson of Character Education Foundation, an NGO that provides training and resources to schools & organisations in the area of character. As an expert in Character Education, Christine has hosted talks, workshops and trainings for students, teachers and social workers at prestigious institutions including The University of Hong Kong, The Education University of Hong Kong, St. Paul's Co-Educational College, St. Stephen's College and International Christian School to name a few.
This article was independently written by Healthy Matters. It is informative only and not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be relied upon for specific medical advice.
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