--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Parents think they can hand children…" description: "\"“Parents think they can hand children permanent confidence—like a gift—by praising their brains and talent. It doesn’t work, and in fact has the opposi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/carol-s-dweck-3250_child_parents-think-they-can-hand-children-per_2462972.jpg" --- # Parents think they can hand children permanent… ![“Parents think they can hand children permanent confidence—like a gift—by praising their brains and talent. It doesn’t work, and in fact has the opposite effect. It makes children doubt themselves as soon as anything is hard or anything goes wrong. If parents want to give their children a gift, the…” quote by Carol S. Dweck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/carol-s-dweck-3250_child_parents-think-they-can-hand-children-per_2462972.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/carol-s-dweck-3250_child_parents-think-they-can-hand-children-per_2462972.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/carol-s-dweck-3250_child_parents-think-they-can-hand-children-per_2462972.jpg) > ““Parents think they can hand children permanent confidence—like a gift—by praising their brains and talent. It doesn’t work, and in fact has the opposite effect. It makes children doubt themselves as soon as anything is hard or anything goes wrong. If parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach their children to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning. That way, their children don’t have to be slaves of praise. They will have a lifelong way to build and repair their own confidence.”” [Carol S. Dweck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-s-dweck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Praising effort over innate talent fosters resilience, curiosity, and lifelong confidence. **In simple terms:** Praise effort, not talent. Key Takeaway Focus on growth. Themes growth confidence parenting education resilience mindset Mood educational reflective Type psychological inspirational When to use this quote - parent‑child interactions - school feedback - coaching - self‑improvement Key Concepts psychology developmental theory learning motivation Questions to Reflect On - How can you encourage a love of challenges? - What language best supports growth? A Different Perspective overpraise can create dependency on external validation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children Gift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-gift-678835/) [Gift Praising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gift-praising-678834/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) [Parents Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents-think/) [Parents Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents-want/) ## Related quotes > [“If parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach their children to love challenges, be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-s-dweck/if-parents-want-to-give-their-children-a-gift-the-best-thing-they-can-3/) [Carol S. Dweck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-s-dweck/) > [If parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach their children to love challenges, be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-s-dweck/if-parents-want-to-give-their-children-a-gift-the-best-thing-they-can/) [Carol S. Dweck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-s-dweck/) > [“If parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach their children to love challenges, be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-s-dweck/if-parents-want-to-give-their-children-a-gift-the-best-thing-they-can-2/) [Carol S. Dweck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-s-dweck/) > [“That’s what parents often do, I think, we persuade ourselves we’re doing everything for the sake of the child. It’s too painful to us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-backman/that-s-what-parents-often-do-i-think-we-persuade-ourselves-we-re/) [Fredrik Backman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-backman/) > [You will never have this day again with your children, tomorrow they will be older, the days you have with your Children are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/you-will-never-have-this-day-again-with-your-children-tomorrow-they/) [Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/) > [When you give a gift to one of God's children, you give a gift to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/when-you-give-a-gift-to-one-of-god-s-children-you-give-a-gift-to-god/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [Children a gift of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/children-a-gift-of-god/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some people are good with children. Others are not. It is a gift. You either have it, or you don't. My father didn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-robin-milne/some-people-are-good-with-children-others-are-not-it-is-a-gift-you/) [Christopher Robin Milne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-robin-milne/) > [Our children are the gift we give the world we'll never see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-salk/our-children-are-the-gift-we-give-the-world-we-ll-never-see/) [Lee Salk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-salk/) > [Don't be angry; be thankful, children are a gift. -Father Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desperate-housewives/don-t-be-angry-be-thankful-children-are-a-gift-father-crowley/) [Desperate Housewives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desperate-housewives/) > [“there is no greater gift to bestow on children than the gift of curiosity. Effective”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-ryan/there-is-no-greater-gift-to-bestow-on-children-than-the-gift-of/) [James E. Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-ryan/) > [I've always had tremendous support from my parents. I think there's a myth that gay people have lousy relationships with their parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-always-had-tremendous-support-from-my-parents-i-think-there-s-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some parents want to be popular, but that's not their job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/some-parents-want-to-be-popular-but-that-s-not-their-job/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [Is there a doctor in the house? My parents want me to marry you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-liebman/is-there-a-doctor-in-the-house-my-parents-want-me-to-marry-you/) [Wendy Liebman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-liebman/) > [Imagine if your success in life is determined only by your guts, your hard work, and your willpower, and not by the wealth of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-ng/imagine-if-your-success-in-life-is-determined-only-by-your-guts-your/) [Andrew Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-ng/) ## More by Carol S. Dweck > [“you aren’t a failure until you start to blame.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-s-dweck/you-aren-t-a-failure-until-you-start-to-blame/) [Carol S. Dweck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-s-dweck/) > [“tune in to the messages you’re sending. Are they messages that say: You have permanent traits and I’m judging them? Or are they messages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-s-dweck/tune-in-to-the-messages-you-re-sending-are-they-messages-that-say-you/) [Carol S. Dweck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-s-dweck/) > [A company that cannot self-correct cannot thrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-s-dweck/a-company-that-cannot-self-correct-cannot-thrive/) [Carol S. Dweck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-s-dweck/) > [...when people already know they're deficient, they have nothing to lose by trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-s-dweck/when-people-already-know-they-re-deficient-they-have-nothing-to-lose/) [Carol S. Dweck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-s-dweck/) > [Most experts and great leaders agree that leaders are made, not born, and that they are made through their own drive for learning and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-s-dweck/most-experts-and-great-leaders-agree-that-leaders-are-made-not-born/) [Carol S. 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Dweck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-s-dweck/) > [When we praise children for their intelligence, we tell them that this is the name of the game: Look smart; don't risk making mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-s-dweck/when-we-praise-children-for-their-intelligence-we-tell-them-that-this/) [Carol S. Dweck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-s-dweck/) > [We're not saying people don't need fuel for strenuous work; they just don't need it constantly. People have many more resources at hand than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-s-dweck/we-re-not-saying-people-don-t-need-fuel-for-strenuous-work-they-just/) [Carol S. Dweck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-s-dweck/) > [“What on earth would make someone a nonlearner? Everyone is born with an intense drive to learn. Infants stretch their skills daily. Not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-s-dweck/what-on-earth-would-make-someone-a-nonlearner-everyone-is-born-with/) [Carol S. Dweck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-s-dweck/) > [The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it's not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-s-dweck/the-passion-for-stretching-yourself-and-sticking-to-it-even-or/) [Carol S. Dweck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-s-dweck/) > [The whole point of marriage is to encourage your partner's development and have them encourage yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-s-dweck/the-whole-point-of-marriage-is-to-encourage-your-partner-s/) [Carol S. Dweck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-s-dweck/) > [“When people with the fixed mindset opt for success over growth, what are they really trying to prove? That they’re special. Even superior.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-s-dweck/when-people-with-the-fixed-mindset-opt-for-success-over-growth-what/) [Carol S. 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