Hot Topics Ep. 3 - Letting Your Children Fail: Using Setbacks to Foster Growth & Resilience

In this episode of Hot Topics, hosts Will Cox and Dr. Jennifer L. Baker discuss the importance of allowing children to experience failure as a tool for growth. They explore how overcoming setbacks builds resilience, decision-making skills and long-term success. Will shares a personal story about his son procrastinating on a school assignment and his initial instinct to step in and "fix" the situation. Dr. Baker provides insights on why failure is a crucial learning experience and how parents can balance support with accountability. They also discuss how financial literacy, responsibility and discipline are best taught through firsthand experience. This episode is a must-listen for parents struggling with when to intervene and when to step back helping their children become strong independent individuals. Episode Highlights [00:46] "Allowing them to fail is more difficult than teaching them to succeed." [02:46] "I stopped and thought—oh my gosh, I'm allowing my child to commit plagiarism. Why am I doing this?" [05:12] "I had to pay for the repairs of my car when I was 16 years old. That changed how I saw responsibility." [11:08] "Give them the chance to fail when the price tag is small." [14:48] "My husband said, ‘Wow, they got places that can do that. You should call and figure it out.’ So my son had to solve the problem himself." [16:33] "Years later, my son knew how to handle a snowstorm because he had to learn the hard way before." [22:24] "Children can adjust to different rules in different households—just like they do at school." [24:17] "Michael Jordan, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill—what motivated them? Failure." [25:40] "You're not always going to be there. Let them make mistakes now while it's safe, before they enter the real world." Resources 📩 Sign up for the Good Dads Newsletter and never miss a podcast! 🌐 Learn more at gooddads.com 📧 Questions or comments? Reach out to Good Dads at [email protected]