This blog series is made possible by a grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc.
Perseverance is a skill that can help children create tasks, overcome obstacles, and achieve their goals. Persistence is created through effort and practice, not innate abilities. A wonderful way to instill perseverance in young minds is to encourage a growth mindset. This means helping them believe they can get better at things with practice, effort, and trying again.
Children learn these character skills through “caught, taught, and sought” method.
Growth Mindset (Caught)
- Using patience and persistence in everyday tasks.
- Set realistic goals.
Encouragement (Taught)
- Praise effort.
- Reframe problems as desired difficulties.
Leaders of Play (Sought)
- Repeats experiences especially ones they enjoy.
- Focuses on activities for longer periods of time.
Try Again, Again, and Again
“A problem is a chance for you to do your best.”
– Duke Ellington
Let’s highlight Perseverance! Perseverance is how we overcome obstacles and carry out our long-term goals in our lives. Perseverance is part of the performance domain of character. Performance character is what we use to manage our lives effectively and to realize our potential.
Perseverance is like riding a bike uphill. It iss exhausting, but when we reach the top it is so rewarding. Biking up the hill requires continued, consistent effort to achieve over a long time. There may be falls and scraped knees, but learning how to ride the bike is proof of persevering. Perseverance is our highlighted skill, but there are three related skills we will discuss – Persistence, Confidence, and Resilience.
Perseverance is often used interchangeably with Persistence, but it is subtly different. We define Persistence as continuing to work on or do something to overcome an obstacle, often in the short-term. Persistence and Perseverance can work together. Encouraging a child to brush their teeth every night (Persistence) can lead to the long-term habit of supporting good dental hygiene (Perseverance). Persistence often refers to continuing effort in the moment, while perseverance describes sustained commitment toward long-term goals. Research shows that your encouragement plays an important role in helping your child to persist through challenges. [1]
Confidence is trusting in yourself and others. Confidence inspires children to try new things. It shows up in brave moments like raising a hand or being the first to try something. When children feel confident, they develop an inner voice that says, “I can do this!” This is essential for a child to understand who they are. [2]
Resilience is bending without breaking, “bouncing back,” and growing from setbacks. It grows when children feel supported through challenges and learn that setbacks are part of learning. Resilience is expressed in many ways because every person, context, and environment is constantly changing. [3]
Perseverance drives everyone to do their best to face the world in front of them. Like riding a bike uphill, perseverance pushes children to keep moving forward, even when the path feels difficult. With persistence, confidence, and resilience, they learn they can reach the top all on their own.
[1] Leonard JA, Lydon-Staley DM, Sharp SDS, Liu HZ, Park AT, Bassett DS, Duckworth AL, Mackey AP. Daily fluctuations in young children’s persistence. Child Dev. 2022 Mar;93(2): e222-e236. doi: 10.1111/cdev.13717. Epub 2021 Dec. 14. PMID: 34904237; PMCID: PMC8930564.
[2] Mohamed, Hesham & Abdelfatah, Mohamed. (2025). Boost Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem in Kids. Psychology and Mental Health Care. 9. 10.31579/2637-8892/344.
[3] Masten AS, Barnes AJ. Resilience in Children: Developmental Perspectives. Children (Basel). 2018 Jul 17;5(7):98. doi: 10.3390/children5070098. PMID: 30018217; PMCID: PMC6069421.
