Tonight with your 5 to 8 year old
The prompt
“Was there a time you tried something and it totally didn't work out, but it actually led somewhere good afterward?”
What to listen for
If they can trace a path from the failure to something good, they're building a powerful belief that setbacks aren't the end of the story, that's real resilience forming.
If they can only remember the failing part and not anything good after, gently help them find the silver lining together, this teaches them to look for it next time on their own.
If they say "I don't know" or "nothing," share a story of your own first, showing them your failures turned out fine is often the most convincing lesson.
What this tells you
This shows whether they currently see failing at something as the end of the story or just a chapter in it.