In early November, Austin Jewish Academy hosted a parent education event facilitated by Hagit Segal, co-owner of Mistake & Friends, to help parents foster positive child development.  Segal shared valuable insights on cultivating a growth mindset, emphasizing the importance of not only viewing mistakes as learning opportunities, but celebrating them.  

The concept of a “growth mindset” – the belief that your intelligence and abilities can be developed through effort and practice – rose to prominence in 2015 with the publication of the eponymous book by Carol Dweck. With an expertise in early childhood education, Segal has since applied this concept in her own way to help parents and educators develop this mindset in young students. 

“Hagit worked with our faculty during our professional development week in August, and they loved it!” said Kari Loya, interim head of school at AJA. “She even gifted everyone their own ‘mistake’ doll, which made everyone smile. We realized immediately that we should invite Hagit to share this with our AJA parents as part of our parent education series.”  

At the recent event, Segal encouraged parents to embrace their children’s emotions as an integral part of growth, and to honor individual differences as unique strengths. Through practical tools and strategies, she provided parents with tools to better understand and connect with their children, equipping them to support their kids in navigating challenges with resilience and confidence. 

One parent especially appreciated when Segal asked everyone to self-identify with different kid-friendly characters that often appear in social settings, “Mistake’s Friends”: Ryangry, Dramamia, Pleasington, Perfectron, and Fearolina. Hagit stressed that we can often demonstrate different degrees of each of these personalities over time. 

Another parent admitted while chuckling, “It was really helpful for us as parents to support our kids. But to be honest, I actually found myself reflecting more on how this could help me!”  

To learn more visit mistakeandfriends.com.