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hildren often become stuck when a toy breaks or a project hits a snag, tempted to give up at the first failure. Without encouragement, this habit can grow, limiting their resilience and creativity. Teaching them to ask, “What else could work?” transforms obstacles into opportunities for innovation, fostering a mindset crucial for inventors, engineers, entrepreneurs, and leaders.

One morning, my daughter wrestled with a jammed dresser drawer. She tried pulling harder, and when that failed, frustration set in. Instead of stepping in, I asked her what else she might try. After a pause, she wiggled the drawer gently, and it slid open. That small success revealed to her that persistence combined with flexibility often solves problems more effectively than brute force.

Make experimentation a regular habit. Each week, present a small challenge — a stuck object, a tricky craft, a building project — and prompt your child to brainstorm three different solutions. Let them test their ideas, recording successes and failures in a “Fix-It Log.” Tool kits, LEGO challenges, and apps like “Invent It!” can inspire creative approaches. Gradually, they will stop seeing failure as defeat and start seeing it as the first step toward a better solution — a priceless attitude for any future endeavor.

TIPS

• Ask “What else could work?” instead of offering the fix
• Celebrate each new attempt, not just success
• Use real-life snags as low-stakes experiments
• Let them try “wrong” solutions to test possibilities
• Frame failure as part of innovation

ACTIVITIES

• Fix-It Round: Present a stuck drawer or toy, brainstorm 3 ways to unstick it — 10 min
• Tool Swap: Use a household item in a new way to solve a minor problem — 10 min
• Idea Flip: List three solutions to a common annoyance, then flip one into a wacky version — 10 min