Tonight with your 9 to 12 year old

The prompt

“Tell me about a time you kept trying at something even after you failed at it once.”

What to listen for

If they describe pushing through with some pride, they're building real confidence in their own persistence, they're learning they can trust themselves to not give up.

If they only remember the failing part and skip past the trying-again part, they might need you to name the effort out loud for them, since kids this age often underrate their own grit.

If they say they usually just quit when things are hard, that's worth noting gently, not correcting on the spot, it points to needing more low-stakes chances to practice sticking with something.

What this tells you

This tells you how much they're learning to trust their own ability to grow through difficulty rather than avoid it.