ForeWord Indies Finalist, Juvenile Nonfiction

What to Do When Mistakes Make You Quake guides children and their parents through the emotions underlying a fear of making mistakes using strategies and techniques based on cognitive-behavioral principles. Explorers investigate places they have never been before. These explorers might take a while to make their discoveries. They might have trouble understanding their maps. They might make wrong turns. They might need to start their expedition all over again! If explorers could not accept their mistakes and keep going, they might never make any discoveries! Does this sound like you? If you have trouble accepting mistakes, if you try to be right all the time, or if you worry about being less than the best, this book is for you!

It’s natural to be afraid of making mistakes. You may be afraid of saying the wrong thing during a meeting or getting lost when traveling in a new city, for example. Kids can think this way, too. In fact, some kids are so afraid of making mistakes that they may hold back from challenges and blame others for their errors. A kid may forgo an activity for fear of not excelling. Or, a student may fail to complete assignments on time due to erasing too much, rewriting, or overdoing the task in some way. Kids who worry about being wrong or making mistakes may try to control situations to ensure their success, blame others for their failings, see themselves in a negative light, or be critical in general. They may have trouble making decisions for fear of making the wrong one. It’s exhausting trying to avoid mistakes—for you and for your child.

This interactive self-help book is the complete resource for educating, motivating, and empowering children to cope with mistakes — so they can explore new territory without fear! Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:



Emphasize effort more than outcome.
Let your child make mistakes—don’t do your child’s work for him.
Model self-acceptance and lose gracefully.
Comment on why you’re okay when you make a mistake.
Demonstrate a sense of humor.
Balance work with play.
Let your child’s achievement be his own—don’t measure yourself by your child’s accomplishments (or mistakes).

This book is part of the Magination Press What-to-Do Guides for Kids series and includes an Introduction to Parents and Caregivers. What-to-Guides for Kids are interactive self-help books designed to guide 8–12 year old's and their parents through the cognitive-behavioral techniques most often used in the treatment of various psychological concerns. Engaging, encouraging, and easy to follow, these books educate, motivate, and empower children to work towards change.

Illustrated by: Janet McDonnell