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Hey, Raising Humans Crew!
Every four years, the Winter Olympics give us a front-row seat to excellence.
We see the podium moments, the medals, the celebrations.
What we do not see nearly as often are the years of quiet practice, the repetition, the frustration, and the long stretches where progress felt slow or invisible.
Our kids live in that part every single day.
This week, we are zooming out and using the Winter Olympics as a reminder that growth is rarely fast, flashy, or obvious while it is happening. The real work happens long before the finish line, and that is exactly where most kids are.
Also in this edition:
Survey Says: We asked, you answered! Here's what parents really think about last week's big question.
🧠 The Think Tank: Cast your vote in this week’s poll!
Progress Looks Boring Until It Works
Olympic athletes spend years repeating the same drills.
The same movements.
The same routines.
From the outside, it can look monotonous.
From the inside, it's where everything changes.
Kids rarely expect learning to feel this way.
They often believe progress should feel exciting, fast, or rewarding right away. When improvement does not show up quickly, they assume something is wrong with them.
Parents recognize this moment instantly. It could be the sigh after homework, the frustration they show after a test, or even the quiet, “I’m just not good at this.”
What kids don’t realize is that progress often feels dull before it feels successful.
Skills develop beneath the surface long before results show up on paper. Confidence is built in repetition, not recognition.
As parents, one of the most powerful shifts we can make is helping kids notice signs of growth that are not tied to grades or scores, such as:
Sticking with a hard task longer than before
Asking more thoughtful or specific questions
Making fewer careless mistakes
Recovering faster after getting something wrong
When kids feel stuck, it also helps to name what is actually happening. You might say, “It looks like your brain is still building this skill,” or “Hard usually means something new is forming.”
These small language changes matter. They remind kids that struggle is not a signal to stop, but a sign that something new is taking shape.
Progress rarely looks impressive while it is happening. It often feels repetitive, slow, or even boring. But that does not mean it is not working.
The Winter Olympics give us a powerful reminder of this.
Olympians do not become great because every practice feels rewarding. They become great because they show up on the days when progress feels invisible.
The same is true for kids. What looks unremarkable right now is often the exact work that leads to future breakthroughs. When we help kids notice quiet signs of growth, we teach them to trust the process long before results appear.
The Cozy Winter Ritual Behind My Energy and Glow ✨
Winter calls for rituals that actually make you feel amazing—and Pique’s Sun Goddess Matcha is mine. It delivers clean, focused energy with zero jitters, supports glowing skin and gentle detox, and feels deeply grounding on cold mornings. Smooth, ceremonial-grade, and crave-worthy, it’s the easiest way to start winter days clear, energized, and glowing from the inside out
Playing the Long Game
Winter Olympians train for years for moments that last seconds.
Kids, meanwhile, are growing up in a world of instant answers, instant feedback, and constant comparison. Waiting for improvement can feel unbearable.
When kids only focus on short-term wins, slow progress can feel like failure. This is where motivation starts to fade.
Not because kids are lazy, but because the payoff feels too far away.
Parents can help by zooming out. Instead of asking only how something went today, try asking what feels a little easier than last month. Talk about progress in weeks and seasons, not days.
Celebrate consistency just as much as outcomes.
Routines play a big role here!
Small, repeatable habits help kids stay grounded when motivation dips. Five focused minutes a day often beats an hour of forced effort once a week. Over time, those small habits compound… just like athletic training.
It also helps to normalize that not every effort feels rewarding.
Olympians do not love every practice, and kids do not need to love every step either.
What they need is reassurance that steady effort counts, even when it feels boring or hard.
Playing the long game means teaching kids that success is built slowly, quietly, and often without applause.
What We Miss When We Only Celebrate the Finish Line
When success is celebrated only at the finish line, kids may come to believe that effort matters only if it leads to a visible win.
Over time, this creates a subtle but harmful message:
If the result is not impressive, the work was not worth it.
This mindset quietly chips away at confidence, especially for kids who learn more slowly, take creative risks, or need extra time to master a skill.
Many kids respond by avoiding challenges altogether.
Others become perfectionists, afraid to try unless they are sure they will succeed. Some stop trusting their own judgment, assuming that if progress feels slow, they must be doing something wrong.
None of this is a lack of ability.
It is a lack of safety around effort.
Confidence grows in environments where kids feel allowed to struggle without being judged. It develops when trying, failing, and trying again are treated as normal parts of learning.
This kind of confidence does not come from constant praise or big celebrations.
It comes from consistency, from showing up, and from knowing that effort matters even when outcomes lag behind.
Parents play a powerful role here.
When we notice the work between milestones, we send a very different message. We tell kids that their persistence counts. That their focus matters. That growth is happening even if it is not yet visible.
Instead of waiting for big achievements to react, try naming what you see along the way.
You might say:
“I noticed you stayed calm when that got tricky.”
“You did not give up even when you felt frustrated.”
“You handled that mistake differently this time.”
These moments help kids internalize a healthier definition of success.
Over time, this shifts how kids see themselves. They learn that success is not just about outcomes. It is about showing up, adjusting, and staying engaged, even when things feel uncomfortable.
Kids who trust the process begin to trust themselves.
The podium moments are exciting and worth celebrating.
But they are not what build resilient, confident humans.
That work happens quietly, in the in-between moments, when no one is clapping.
Last week, we asked:
Should there be limits on AI use for schoolwork, even if it improves grades?
Here’s how you voted:
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🔘 Yes. Learning matters more than grades. (12.5%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🔘 Yes. Limits should depend on age and subject. (37.5%)
🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ 🔘 It depends on how the AI is being used. (25%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🔘 No. If it helps results, it should be allowed. (12.5%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🔘 I’m still figuring this out. (12.5%)
These results show a thoughtful, nuanced perspective:
Most of you are not looking for a simple yes or no when it comes to AI. Instead, the strongest response points to balance.
This actually mirrors something we see in the Olympics! Technology, data, and tools play a role in modern training, but they are never a replacement for skill, effort, or understanding. Athletes still have to do the work. The tools support the process, not skip it.
Parents seem to be thinking about AI in much the same way.
Used thoughtfully, it can guide, explain, and reinforce learning. Used without limits, it risks turning practice into performance without growth. The goal is not to ban the tools or blindly allow them, but to make sure they strengthen the learning muscle rather than replace it.
We’re asking parents like you to share their thoughts on topics that matter each week! Cast your vote and see what others think! We’ll chat more about the results next week. 👀
What do you think helps kids stick with long-term goals the most?
Books that normalize struggle
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein
The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
Simple reflection tools
Weekly “Progress Check”
Ask once a week:
What felt hard this week?
What felt a little easier?
What did you keep trying even when it was frustrating?
Effort Journal
One sentence a day about effort, not outcomes. No grades, no scores.
Games that reward thinking
Chess, checkers, and logic puzzles
Board games such as Rush Hour, Story Cubes, Outfoxed, Castle Panic, and Katamino.
Parent Reminder
Not every tool needs to accelerate progress. Some tools exist to slow things down, build patience, and help kids trust the process.
Until Next Week…
The Winter Olympics remind us that greatness is not built in the spotlight. It is built in quiet mornings, repeated effort, and patience when progress feels slow.
Your child is doing important work long before the podium moments arrive.
Thanks for joining us in raising kind, capable, and confident humans. We’re so glad you’re here.
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