Narrate Your Own Failures

When you burn dinner, narrate the cycle: "That did not work; the heat was too high, so I will try lower next time." Your child sees acknowledge, analyze, adjust.

Failure also needs a soft place to land. Before you problem-solve, name what your child is feeling: "That's really disappointing — you worked hard on it." A child who feels understood can think; a child who feels judged just defends. Only after the feeling is acknowledged does the "what next?" question actually land.