Oh, the Things You'll Accomplish

Oh, the Things You'll Accomplish

Can you imagine a life without Dr. Seuss? While the title of this post isn't exactly the name of one of Seuss's books, it well could be! Seuss can teach a lot about persistence and dedication when we pay attention to the backstory! We'll get to that, soon.

I remember reading Seuss as a child.  Dr. Seuss books just happen to be the first "big book" that each of my kids read, as well!  Green Eggs and Ham, to be exact!  I have such fond memories of Seuss! 

Persistence

But what if Theodore Geisel, the brain  behind Seuss, had been less than persistent?  What if Geisel had given up and thrown in the towel after his first rejection letter from one of many publishers? 

Seuss has contributed in an abundant way to literacy, but he unwittingly contributed just as much to the therapeutic world! He didn't fail just once or twice or even just 10 times. No, it was much more! And still...he persisted. He did not stop until he reached his goal.

He had a growth mindset. Failure was just a stepping stone to him!

Seuss in the Classroom and in Therapy

I've referenced Seuss (Geisel, to be precise) in therapy on multiple occasions and have given talks to numerous elementary classrooms, celebrating the importance of persistence...of grit...of having a growth mindset...of not giving up on a dream....of getting up every time you fall...of rising to the challenge that stands before you.

Sweet Victory!

The truth is, Theodore Geisel, the author of Dr. Seuss books, had failed several times before an editor agreed to publish his book! Sweet victory! His persistence had paid off!

Combat a "Bad Case of the Can'ts"

How can Seuss inspire your kids? Do they know about his persistence? Do the kids you know sometimes use the word "can't"? What would Seuss have to say about that? Challenge kids to create their own Seuss-like story to combat a "Bad Case of the Can'ts"! If you do so, we'd love to hear it!

Wendy Young, LMSW, BCD, is  the founder of Kidlutions and co-author of BLOOM: 50 Things to Say, Think and Do with Anxious, Angry and Over-the-Top Kids. She is the creator of numerous workbooks and resources to help from the preschool through the teen years. Follow her on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! She'd love to see your smiling face there! Affiliate links may be used in this post. Please see our full disclaimer, located at the top of our page for more information.

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