The Washington Post – Judy Holland
“When parents and educators launched the “self-esteem” movement in the 1980s, lavishly praising kids and handing out trophies to all, they expected everyone would try harder. But the opposite was true. Coddled kids became softer, slower and less likely to persevere. In other words, they didn’t learn grit. “This is not a gritty generation,” says Caroline Adams Miller, a Bethesda-based author and speaker. “They become overwhelmed easily because they’ve been protected from failure.” Psychologists are now focusing on grit as the key ingredient for happiness and success. Grit is defined as passion and perseverance in pursuit of long-term goals. Research shows grit is usually unrelated or inversely related to talent. But if you fear your kids are light on grit, don’t worry. We can cultivate traits of gritty people – and model them for our kids. Grit is contagious. Cultivating grit requires finding a passion — something that lights you up. Miller proposes three steps for getting grit:”(more)