When the Going Gets Tough...

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going." This quote is attributed to JFK's father, Joseph Kennedy. This is a perfect quote to describe perseverance when a task gets difficult.

Many people make New Year's resolutions but by mid-January most resolutions will be abandoned. There's even a day for it: Quitter's Day! This year it fell on January 17th.

Are we becoming a society of quitters? I hope not. I think it's imperative to teach children perseverance and it's important to begin teaching it at an early age. Perseverance is a skill that assists children to establish short and long term goals. It helps them to understand the importance of giving 100% of themselves in order to achieve better results. It also assists them to learn from failures or mistakes and to try again. Simply said, it builds self-confidence.

It's important for parents to provide clear expectations to children. If a child wants to join a sports team or play an instrument, as examples, parents need to be clear about the level of commitment they expect. You might even create a contract.

Sometimes a child will want to quit after only a few practices or lessons. They may not be performing as well as they expected. However, if you let your child quit too soon, he'll never know if he could have improved and succeeded.

I am not saying a child should never quit. There are always circumstances that necessitate leaving. It could be bullying, over-scheduling or the activity is too advanced. Discuss the issue with your child to determine the right course of action. The important thing is not to have quitting the first option. It should be the last.