Psychologist: It's 'necessary' for parents to make mistakes—your kids are more likely to grow up successful

It’s easy to want to be the perfect parent when you have kids, but making mistakes as a parent is pretty natural.

In fact, it’s part of the equation for raising successful kids, developmental psychologist Aliza Pressman told “The Mel Robbins Podcast” in an episode that published on July 28. When your kids see you making mistakes, they learn that messing up doesn’t mean there’s something inherently wrong with them — lessening the pressure they may feel to be completely mistake-free, said Pressman.

Giving your kids permission to mess up can help them become happier and more successful as adults. “If our kids didn’t see [our mistakes], they would not have much hope that they get to make mistakes and grow and still be loved and be worthy,” Pressman said.

Your parenting mistakes will be unavoidable, she said — from forgetting to pack your kid’s favorite snack one day to accidentally saying the wrong thing in front of them. “We are born as parents when our children are born,” said Pressman, adding: “Of course we’re messing up all of the time, because we’re babies. We’re baby parents ... [It’s] a necessary part of this gig to keep making mistakes.”

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