No child wants to make a mistake during their early childhood education but making mistakes is an unavoidable part of life. If your child has recently made a mistake at school or during daycare, this can be turned into a learning opportunity.

Calm Down Before Talking to Your Child

After you find out that your child has made a mistake, you might feel angry. It's important to wait until you are calm so you can come up with the best possible plan for teaching your child what they should actually do. If you're upset, your child will be more emotional and might find it more difficult to focus on the lesson you are teaching them.

Help Your Child Feel Comfortable Discussing the Issue

Your child should feel comfortable talking about their mistakes. It's natural to not want to admit to a mistake, but you can better guide your child through the challenge and how to make a better decision in the future. When your child feels attacked for making a mistake, they are more likely to hide similar mistakes in the future. 

If you can remember a time when you made a similar mistake, make sure to share it with your child. Help them understand that making mistakes is normal and explain what you did to overcome the mistake. Your child might want to imitate the good behavior that you are modeling for them.

Explain the Problem

You will want your child to understand why there is a problem that needs to be fixed. For example, if your child was not paying attention during early childhood education, you should explain to your child why paying attention is important. 

Remain focused on the mistake that you're currently addressing and do not bring up mistakes made in the past. Do not label your child. For example, don't refer to your child as being a "brat." 

Ask Your Child What They Learned

If you're not sure about whether your child is paying attention, ask them about what they learned. By having your child explain in their own words, they will be more likely to remember what you taught them. Having them practice sharing it to others can also build confidence in their ability to understand it. 

Then, you can bring the issue up with the child care service. Make sure that they know what lessons you are trying to teach your child so they can help you reinforce these lessons and help your child learn from their mistakes.