Maybe something isn’t going their way.
Maybe they’re losing a game.
Maybe someone is making fun of them.
Maybe they aren’t successful on their first attempts.
Keep this in mind, though: There are rarely any long-term benefits to giving up.
Kids are usually responding to emotion, not logic when they want to quit. The short-term relief of escaping a stressful situation is exactly that—short-term.
Think about this for a moment:
- How many championship teams would have missed their greatest moments if they had given up when the game got tough?
- How many successful companies would never have existed if their founders hadn’t pushed through early failures, setbacks, and even bankruptcies?
The common thread is resilience. It builds like a muscle and grows stronger with use.
A Lesson from an Olympic Gymnast
Years ago, I heard an Olympic gymnast share a story about one of the greatest gifts her mom ever gave her. It wasn’t a medal, a trip, or a special piece of equipment. It was a lesson.
When this gymnast was about 14 years old, she struggled to learn a particular skill she needed in order to move up to the next competition level. She poured time and energy into it, but she just couldn’t get it. Eventually, she felt hopeless and told her mom she was ready to quit gymnastics.
Her mom listened as her daughter laid out her case and explained why she was done. When she finished, her mom looked at her and simply said, “No. You are not allowed to quit on a negative note. That’s final.”
She went back to practice. She kept working and working, and eventually, she stuck the move. She was thrilled and couldn’t wait to tell her mom.
Again, her mom listened, smiling at her daughter’s excitement and pride.
“Great,” her mom said. “Now we can call your coaches and tell them you’ll be quitting.”
The gymnast stared at her, confused. “What? No!”
Her mom replied, “You said you wanted to quit. Now you can stop training—because you’re doing it after a positive experience.”
You can imagine how the young gymnast felt in that moment.
“I don’t want to quit,” she said. “I finally know how to do the move, and now I can move up to the next level.”
You know the rest of the story: that young girl eventually became an Olympian. And that simple rule: you don’t quit on a bad day became a lesson she carried into every area of her life.
Emotion or Logic?
Now, before the word “but” pops into your head, parents…
Yes, every situation is unique. Sometimes there are real health, safety, or serious emotional concerns that must come first.
But most of the time, the pattern is similar: something gets hard, uncomfortable, or discouraging, and quitting looks like the easiest option.
When that happens, don’t be afraid to:
- Get creative. Maybe the answer isn’t “quit” or “force them to continue,” but “let’s set a specific goal or time frame and then re-evaluate.”
- Take a little extra time. Avoid making the decision in the middle of a meltdown or right after a bad practice, game, or performance.
- Ask yourself: “Am I letting my child decide based on emotion or logic?”
The right decision is not often the path of least resistance. But it’s usually the one that builds character, confidence, and a stronger future.
Helping our kids learn not to quit on the hard days may be one of the greatest gifts we ever give them whether it’s on the field, in the classroom, or in life.
