(Even If They’re Currently Screaming “I Can’t Do It!”)
Ever had one of those days where your kid gives up on a math worksheet faster than they give up on broccoli? Or the kind of game meltdown where they dramatically flop onto the floor like they’ve been personally betrayed by the universe?
Yeah. We’ve seen that movie. The full-body flop, the “I’m just bad at this,” the refusal to try again. It’s a classic case of minimal growth mindset characteristics—and honestly, it’s also just part of being a kid who’s still learning how to handle big feelings, confusing challenges, and the whole “being a decent human” thing.
Sometimes, as parents, we forget that our kids are in training mode. Full-on emotional training wheels. And yet somehow, we expect them to operate like tiny adults who’ve already mastered impulse control, self-awareness, and how to bounce back after losing a game of Uno.
With a gentle reminder to the adults in the room, and a deep breath, we get to remember that kids aren’t born with a growth mindset… they learn it. With time. With practice. With the right kind of support (and yes, a few faceplants along the way).
So What Is A Growth Mindset, Really?
A growth mindset is the belief that your abilities, intelligence, and skills aren’t fixed—you can get better at things through effort, learning, and time.
This doesn’t mean your kid needs to be a motivational speaker in a glitter cape. It just means they start to believe that hard things don’t mean “nope, not for me”… they mean, “Okay, this might take a few tries.”
The opposite of this is a fixed mindset—where kids think they’re either “smart” or “not,” “good at this” or “bad at that,” and nothing they do will change it. That’s a tough way to go through childhood. But it’s also super common. And 100% changeable.
Growth Mindset In Action— Or, Real Life Kid Examples
Let’s break it down with a few “wait, that’s my kid” scenarios:
- Fixed Mindset: “I can’t do it.”
Growth Mindset: “I don’t get it… yet.” - Fixed: “Liam’s just better than me at soccer.”
Growth: “Maybe if I practice more, I’ll get better too.” - Fixed: “I’m not an artist.”
Growth: “I want to learn how to draw that!”
This is the shift we want to help kids make. We can’t force positivity, but we can give them actual experiences where they try, fail, try again… and surprise themselves. We can model our own self-awareness and build our own resilience and belief in ourselves showing our kids that no one is a finished product.
7 Growth Mindset Characteristics Your Kid Can Build (Yes, Even The Stubborn Ones)
- Resilience – They bounce back after mistakes, even if it takes a snack and a pep talk first.
- Curiosity – They ask why and how (over and over again)—because they believe they can understand it.
- Grit – They keep trying, even when it’s hard, boring, or kind of annoying. (Hi, shoe tying.)
- Self-Awareness – They start noticing their own reactions—like “Whoa, I get really mad when I lose…”
- Optimism – Not fake sunshiney stuff, but a little internal voice that says, “I think I can figure this out.”
- Adaptability – They roll with the weirdness when things don’t go as planned.
- Confidence – They raise their hand, try out for the thing, or speak up—even if their voice is shaky.
Unfortunately, these don’t magically appear one day. They come from doing the work—through play, practice, and real-life problem-solving.
But… Can You Really Teach This Stuff?
Yep. 100%. This isn’t some personality trait your kid either got at birth or didn’t. A growth mindset is a skillset. And like all skills, it gets stronger with practice.
Especially when that practice is fun.
At Kong Academy, we teach these skills through wild obstacle courses, mystery missions, and team games where the goal isn’t perfection—it’s trying again. And again. And again.
Because that’s the muscle they need most.
“But my kid refuses to stay positive. What then?”
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: some kids get really down on themselves. Fast. They melt, shut down, or lash out.
And yeah—it’s frustrating. But at Kong Academy, we know that you don’t need to force a kid to “stay positive.” You just need to give them room to feel what they’re feeling, and a reason to try again.
We help kids connect effort to progress. And we wrap the hard lessons inside of play—because it’s a lot easier to keep going when the floor is lava or there’s a dragon to defeat. That’s when resilience kicks in without anyone giving a speech about it.
How Kong Academy Builds Growth Mindset (Without the Pressure)
We’re not standing around with clipboards and character trait posters. We’re in the game—literally. Every single program we run (after school, summer camp, YouTube adventures) is designed to sneak growth mindset lessons into play.
- When a kid misses a jump in parkour, we talk about how bodies learn by trying again.
- When a teammate makes a mistake, we model how to give feedback with kindness.
- When they feel frustrated, we coach them through it in the moment, not after the fact.
Our counselors are trained to see the teachable moments and grab them—gently, playfully, and with a ton of encouragement.
And over time? The kids who once shouted “I’m bad at this!” are the ones helping others try again.
Your Kid’s Not “Behind.” They’re Learning.
If your child struggles with confidence or gives up quickly, that doesn’t mean they’re destined to stay stuck. It just means they’re at a moment where they need some extra reps. Some safe fails. Some solid wins. Some people in their corner who believe they can get there—even when they don’t believe it themselves (yet).
We’ve got those people. We’ve got the games. We’ve got the play-based structure that turns these abstract ideas into muscle memory.
And we’ve got room for your kid to join in.
Come see what a growth mindset looks like in real life—and how much fun your kid can have while building it.
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