The Batman Effect: Teaching Children Perseverance

When we teach children perseverance, we also teach them the importance of continuous effort. They learn to strive for more and not settle for something because it’s easy. Children can acquire this skill through examples, as well as through playing games, as is the case with the famous Batman effect.

The Batman effect is a very simple and stimulating technique that encourages perseverance. It is not easy to impart to children the mental and emotional power that it takes to make constant effort to achieve a goal. It’s not easy, but it can be done. How?

Most children today have access to digital devices that give them instant gratification. This is an easy way to escape when they are angry, bored or need information.

However, this also reduces the attention ability of many children. In addition, they have less patience, a lower tolerance for frustration and they do not know how to deal with their emotions.

Of course, this is not all the fault of new technologies. It is also important to understand that there are certain priorities when it comes to educating our children.

One of these priorities is to teach children to be motivated to succeed. We must ensure that our children learn that those who persevere are not tempted by what is comfortable or easy. This will help them become more capable, happier and more proactive in the future.

Perseverance is taught

A study conducted a while ago has given us a lot to think about. Indeed, it demonstrates that a child’s ability to tolerate frustration and face challenges is not only perceived in his academic performance, but also in his self-image and level of self-confidence.

Many parents really want their children to be excellent students and academically successful. In reality, however, children simply have to be happy so that they become teenagers who have the skills to deal with adversity, take responsibility and fight for what they want.

Let’s take a look at a few things to keep in mind when trying to teach perseverance to our children:

• We should teach children perseverance from the age of two or three. Now is the perfect time for a very simple reason. When they reach that age, they start to become more autonomous. They start to eat alone, take out their toys themselves and clean them up themselves, put on their own shoes and so on.
• To properly acquire these first daily tasks, they must be responsible, motivated and able to do them on their own. They must learn not to give up on the first try.
• In this first stage of life, children begin to build up their sense of reality. They begin to form those first images of what they think the world is.

• When children see that they have to be patient in difficult times and that they have to stay motivated and give everything of themselves to achieve a goal, they begin to form a more productive and satisfying picture of reality in their heads.

What is the Batman effect?

The Batman effect is a technique that helps parents teach their children exactly what perseverance means. This technique is recommended for children between the ages of two and four. These are the guidelines to follow:

• Whenever your child is faced with a challenging task such as tying his shoelaces, doing a puzzle, cleaning his room, feeding himself or dressing himself, encourage him to take on a character: “You are now batman. Batman never gives up when he does something. Just keep trying!’

• The child has to face tasks independently, without any form of help. If he’s tempted to give up, call in reinforcements: “How’s the puzzle going, Batman?”  Instead of calling the child by his name, call him by the name of the fictional character he has adopted. That way you motivate him not to give up.

These kinds of games encourage children to reach beyond their capabilities and try harder. It allows them to develop perseverance. In addition, they learn that  if they put in the effort, they will be able to progress.

Little by little they will realize that they are their own authentic heroes and that with the right amount of effort and motivation there is nothing they cannot do. That’s the Batman effect.