Parenting Podcast: We Are All Works in Progress

by Wendy Grinberg, RJE

Our tradition is a democratic one–any person can become a scholar through study; each of us can bring about the messianic age through our own right action. People can change. One of my favorite narratives in the Torah is when Joseph tests his brothers and sees that they have changed. The realization causes him to let out a cry that is heard throughout Pharaoh’s palace. Although we may only be in the habit of repenting once each year on Yom Kippur, prayers for t’shuvah and forgiveness are found in the weekly Amidah, which is traditionally recited three times each day. The opportunity to learn and change is constant!Seeing ourselves this way can really help us as parents, both in the way we support one another and our children. In this podcast, Dr. Dweck talks about how people with a growth mindset are able to take a team approach because they’re not obsessed with proving their worth. Parents can be so judgmental of one another, when in truth we really need each other. It does take a village–or a synagogue. We can support each other and model tolerance and growth for our kids.

When we model a growth mindset by talking about our own challenges with our kids, they learn to understand that everyone is a work in progress. Dr. Dweck also addresses the particular problem of bullying. Kids with a growth mindset are much better equipped to handle bullying situations;they actually try to understand the bully rather than feeling victimized.Developing a growth mindset is a great step in giving your kids the tools to be resilient when facing life’s challenges.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Download MP3

You can subscribe to the podcasts, and send us your feedback as well.