Supporting the Child Who Shuts Down By Dr. Amy Coopersmith Some children don’t act out or misbehave when work feels hard.They freeze. They stare at the paper.They say, “I don’t know.”They put their head down.They refuse to begin. Beneath that shutdown is something powerful and painful: fear of making a mistake. For these children, mistakes […]
By Dr. Amy Coopersmith Learned helplessness occurs when a child repeatedly experiences situations where: Over time, the child may internalize a powerful belief: “Nothing I do makes a difference.” This belief can show up as avoidance, passivity, frustration, or even behavioral outbursts. Beneath the surface is often fear — fear of failing, fear of trying, […]
Why Self-Determination Begins in Early Childhood By Dr. Amy Coopersmith When we think about preparing children for success, we often focus on academic skills — letters, numbers, reading readiness. But one of the most powerful predictors of long-term success isn’t found in a textbook. It’s found in a simple question: “What do you choose?” Choice-making […]