Growth Mindset for Children: Lessons from the Animal Kingdom

Why do some people thrive in challenges while others shut down? The answer often lies in our mindset. There’s a lot of talk about ‘growth mindset’ these days — it’s the buzzword now. But have we tried to really understand what these two mindsets actually mean?

Understanding mindset
What is a mindset? It is our set of beliefs that forms our opinion about the world and how we perceive ourselves and others. In fact, our mindset affects our successes and failures, and this is where the ‘fixed’ or ‘growth’ mindset comes into play. The truth is, at some point in life, we exhibit growth and fixed mindsets depending on situations and scenarios, with one dominant over the other.

While I had heard about ‘growth’ and ‘fixed’ mindsets before, what intrigued me more about this concept was when I listened to Andrew Huberman’s podcast. In fact, it was his podcast that really helped me mentor and train my team during my corporate years. It helped me identify the team’s traits and gently guide them toward a more open or growth mindset – where they could learn and grow from their experiences instead of blaming themselves, someone else, or a situation. The results were amazing: the team became calmer, was open to suggestions and learning, and handled stress better.

In fact, those who made the effort, I wrote about their transition from fixed to growth mindset in their appraisals, as I felt that merely work performance should not be the metric for a good employee, it is their ability to scale up from a fixed to a growth mindset, as that makes them an asset and a team player in the truest sense. And these are the facets of human behaviour that deserve special mention and will only encourage the team to evolve both professionally and personally.

How does Growth Mindset help

In the paper, Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset: What’s the Difference?, they list out four reasons why entrepreneurs (or, for that matter, anyone of us) need a growth mindset.

A growth mindset is seen as an asset because it helps us transition into new avenues. It builds resilience to handle challenges and failures. A growth mindset helps us perceive negative feedback as constructive criticism and find ways to improve; and because people with a growth mindset have a more positive outlook towards setbacks and criticism, they are grounded and humble.

Focus on the effort rather than the result

In fact, in my recent learning experiences as a mentor and coach, I have learnt that we should acknowledge effort rather than only the result – whether it is for ourselves, our children or adults. If we attach more importance only to the outcome, we may be less motivated.

As Huberman puts it, “Rewarding effort will shift performance in current tasks and future tasks.” In his podcast, he stresses how we should perceive challenges as opportunities for growth and reframing stress as a performance booster. This, of course, comes with practice and mentorship, along with personal motivation and drive.

He also focuses on how we should detach our personal identities from the outcomes or results at work. That way, when we don’t label ourselves or our team members as ‘poor performers’ or ‘not good enough’.

I recall that during a critical migration of our chatbot from a previous version to the latest one, we experienced approximately two hours of downtime. During my appraisal, my manager gave me a poor rating, as to why we had a downtime in the first place. Even though I had documented every step of the troubleshooting process post-migration and worked tirelessly with third-party vendors (who were in a different time zone) to get our chatbot live and running, my manager dismissed all my efforts and gave me the lowest possible score. I was appalled that none of my efforts to salvage the downtime was even considered, and that the report I submitted was neither acknowledged nor even considered, while the focus was only on the outcome. It made me realise that if I, as a corporate employee, went through this, how many employees may be facing similar challenges where their efforts were not recognised because their output did not meet the expected outcome set by strict appraisal standards.

Learning, knowledge and understanding of a fixed and a growth mindset are a must if we’re to work with adults, children or ourselves, so that we’re fair and just and encouraging of effort.

What Fixed and Growth Mindset look like

People who are open to learning, learn from their mistakes, and use setbacks as stepping stones naturally exhibit a growth mindset. Most of us, however, slip into a fixed mindset at times — blaming external factors and avoiding ownership.

If you’re wondering what a Fixed and a Growth Mindset look like, here are some examples that I often hear from my mentees, students and children. What worries me is that some of them are too young to even think, “they’re not good enough,” and the fear of failure prevents them from giving their best shot.

Fixed Mindset	Growth Mindset
I can’t do this. It’s too hard.	This is hard, but I can learn it with practice.
I made a mistake. I’m not good at this.	Mistakes help me grow and learn.
If I fail, everyone will think I’m not smart.	If I fail, I’ll try again and get better.
I don’t want to try new things. What if I’m not good?	I’ll try new things. At least I’ll learn new things.
You won’t like my drawing. It’s not good.	My drawing may not be perfect, but I’m improving every time I try.
No ma’am, I don’t want to show you my essay. It’s not nice.	I can show my essay. Feedback will help me make it better.
I’m scared to start writing. What if my assignment isn’t good?	I’ll start writing. I can always edit and improve it.
I’m just not a maths person.	I can get better at maths with practice and help.
Others are better than me. What’s the point?	Everyone learns at their own pace. I can grow too.
I give up. This is too confusing.	I’ll take a break, ask for help, and try again.

How are we instilling a growth mindset in children?

In my mentorship program for children, we explore mindset through simple, relatable activities with three wonderful characters: Sunny the Lion, Lucky the Octopus, and Shelly the Tortoise. We do reflective conversations, writing and worksheets – we discuss how we should think, act and respond in certain situations.

Can we teach children a growth mindset?

Of course. By praising hard work and effort, using role play, activities and scenarios that prompt them to think about how they could have acted differently. Give them feedback on their work, allow them time and space to rework their drafts or assignments, and provide constant encouragement to help them see opportunities rather than setbacks. Here are some ways we mentor children and young adults with growth mindset in our program.

Why animals?

Children connect deeply with animals. A lion, an octopus, and a tortoise each carry their own strengths — courage, optimism, and wisdom. These characters help children remember the lessons better, and honestly, even adults can draw strength from them.

Lucky the Octopus – Optimism & Gratitude

Lucky reminds children of the many blessings in their lives — eight, to be precise. Some of the things they say they’re “lucky” for include:

1. I am lucky I have parents
2. I am lucky I have a home
3. I am lucky for my food
4. I am lucky I sleep on a cosy bed
5. I am lucky I go to school
6. I am lucky I can play outside
7. I am lucky I am loved
8. I am lucky I have friends
9. I am lucky to be me!

These simple reminders help children stay grounded and appreciative.

Sunny the Lion – Self-Confidence & Courage

Sunny teaches children to believe in themselves and keep trying. Some of their favourite affirmations include:

1. I can do hard things
2. I am brave
3. Mistakes help me grow
4. My brain gets stronger when I try
5. I grow stronger with practice
6. I can ask for help
7. I try even when it is hard
8. I am learning every day
9. I speak with kindness

These are powerful words for young minds learning to trust themselves.

Shelly the Tortoise – Wisdom & Self-Worth

Shelly teaches children to slow down, stay calm, and value their inner strength:

1. Go Slow to Go Strong
2. Carry Your Calm with You
3. Protect Your Peace
4. Keep Moving, Even If It’s Little by Little
5. Everyone Has Their Own Pace
6. Strength Comes from the Inside

These gentle reminders help children understand that growth is not a race.

Why These Lessons Matter

These may seem like simple ideas, but they stay with children. Over time, they begin to internalise these words and apply them in real situations — whether it’s handling disappointment, trying something new, or being kind to themselves.

Whether it’s our W.I.N.G.S Program for Grades 2–7 or our 6 Month Writing Course (Grades 8 onwards), we weave a growth mindset into everything we do. Just as plants need tending, children need gentle guidance, reminders that they can learn from mistakes, and encouragement to be empathetic and look forward to life with enthusiasm.

Join The Write Compass Mentorship Journey

If you’d like your child to build confidence, emotional resilience, and a strong growth mindset along with clear, structured writing skills, The Write Compass Mentorship Programs may be the right fit for you and them.

Whether your child is in primary school or Grade 8 and above, our programs offer a warm, reflective space to grow through writing, conversations, and creative activities. If you’re keen to explore more for yourself or your child, feel free to connect with us.

References:

Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset: What’s the Difference?

What Mindset Is and Why It Matters

How To Enhance Performance & Learning By Applying A Growth Mindset | Huberman Lab • Podcast Notes

how to develop a growth mindset | Ask Huberman Lab

Growth Mindset and Enhanced Learning | Teaching Commons