Ah, pivot! One of the most overused words in business but one I don’t think is used enough when we talk about child development. Can you relate? Your kid is working on a drawing, they make one line "wrong," and they crumple the entire paper in a fit of frustration. To them, the "mistake" is a dead end. To a creative brain, however, that mistake is actually data. Let’s be real, have you ever done something similar? I know I have. Although with me, I’m usually frogging something I’m crochet. Frogging (rip it rip it)🐸 When it comes to high-level problem solving, it’s key to remember that the best ideas often come from a "glitch" that forced a change in direction. But we rarely teach our kids how to pivot. We teach them how to get the "A" or follow the instructions so, when they can’t find the "right" answer, they stop. Here’s something to think about and then I’d love to hear your strategy. How will you show the kids in your life that there are no mistakes, only pivots? The idea is to move from a "Fixed" mindset (where an error is a failure) to a "Fluid" mindset (where an error is just a new starting point). When you lose the fear of failure, you gain the freedom to actually build something new.

I’d like to build upon the concepts introduced in the Brain and Play over the next few days. I hope you’ll join the conversation. Have you ever thought of your living room as a construction site? That thought popped in my head yesterday when I was babysitting my grandson. There was an assortment of toys, musical instruments, snacks, two dogs, and two cats. I watched Eli scoot around testing, playing, and most fun, discovering he could stand up and move forward without help. Of course the “mom” part of my brain also wanted to just tidy things up. I’m not the most organized or clutter free person but looking at those piles of stray blocks, and the floor covered in "stuff" kept calling to me to organize it. It’s loud, it’s messy, and it was tempting to just sweep it all into the toy box so I could walk without tripping. Yes, I’m a klutz! But then I took a step back and thought hmm, I was just talking about brain development, maybe I should apply what I teach. So, here’s a different way to look at it: You aren't looking at a mess; you are looking at how your child’s brain is building itself. Think of your child’s brain right now as Wet Paint. It is dripping, soaking things up, and incredibly easy to shape. As adults, that paint has mostly dried we have our habits and our "way of doing things." But for them, everything is still fresh. Every time they hit a hiccup, the tower falls, they fall, the drawing rips, or the game stops working their brain "sparks." In that moment of frustration, they are actually building a new connection. If you jump in to "fix" it or show them the "right" way, you’re basically walking across that wet paint. You leave your footprints all over their learning. The goal as the parent or grandparent isn't a clean house or a "perfect" project. It’s Ownership. When the child owns the problem, they own the solution. And when they own the solution, the paint sets in a way that makes them feel like they can handle whatever comes next.

Greetings! Here's the recording from today's Layered Learning session. After you watch, let me know how you might apply some of these concepts in your home. I'll get this up on YouTube tomorrow, family plans today. Are you familiar with Layered Learning? What stood out most for you? @Betty Jo Winters I know this is one of your areas of expertise, I'd like your thoughts.

Come join me tomorrow as we talk about one of my favorite topics when it comes to kids and playful learning. It’s something you may not know officially but probably apply with your kids. Layered Learning. Intrigued? Join me. Interested but busy? I’ll post the replay. Who will join the Playful Shift Chat tomorrow?

If you have a child in this age group, you are probably exhausted by repetition. The same story. The same three blocks. The same puddle they want to jump in for twenty minutes. The same… let’s hear what the request is in your house. As adults, we’re bored, we’re ready to move on to fix the problem or do the next thing on our list. But inside their head, it’s an explosion of activity. Their brain is in a state of Synaptic Blooming. Think about it, their brain is growing more connections than it will ever actually use. Every time they repeat an action, they are "paving" a neural highway. They are wiring their motor skills, their balance, and their senses. When we tell them to "move on" because we’re bored, we’re interrupting a key developmental state. Instead of forcing our agenda, why not take time to slow down and let them own the repetition? We need to let the "paint" set. Who remembers this age or being with a child this age? What was the most fun? Or alternatively, what stressed you out the most in this era?