#2: Growth Mindset.

If you hang around an Acton Academy, you’ll see growth mindset in action and witness its power.

But we miss something essential if we think of it only in terms of our children and their academic learning.

One of the lasting gifts of this journey has been my shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset for myself.

I’m energized knowing my brain is still growing and changing. I’m no longer afraid of making mistakes. I’m eager to learn from my children and stick with a problem when it’s a struggle to solve. I feel confident knowing I don’t have all the answers.

As a family, this matters. When we parents see ourselves as learners, our children benefit immensely.  Empathy grows and communication deepens around what’s working and what’s not in each other’s learning journeys. We ask better questions, listen without hidden agendas and encourage with more authenticity when we, too, are in the midst of growth.

Plus, it’s just more fun to be around curious, learning people. The alternative is an adult/child distancing that happens when parents are the ones who already know it all and only the children are being “schooled.”

Growth mindset begets growth mindset. What are you learning?