The Power to Try: With Dr Calli

What is Trying Power?

Trying Power is the superhero strength that helps you keep trying even when things get tough. Once kids are familiar with the concept of Hartie and his message in Hello Hero, kids will start to understand that we have powers within us to help us be kind, helpful, grateful, and to help us try new things.

Using their Trying Power may look like attempting to put our shoes on our feet by ourselves and having the courage to ask for help when we need it. The parent can swoop in and do it for them or encourage their child to try again while providing minimal help. Using their trying power can mean opening their favorite snack after being shown how and trying until they can open it on their own. Providing our children the opportunity to do more on their own builds confidence early on so when they are on their own at school their Trying Power is instilled. Kids will feel empowered to raise their hand, volunteer to go first, or be the first to reach out to the new student. Here are some ways your little Hero can practice their trying powers!

Getting Dressed:

Getting dressed involves so many different skills. It requires motor planning, balance, fine motor skills, and visual perception just to name a few. Breaking down this large task into mini-challenges builds up their confidence along the way to learning the whole task. For example, the first step to learning how to get dressed is to get undressed. Their first mini-challenge can be taking off their shorts/pants with an elastic waistband. The next mini-challenge would be taking off a shirt. Below you can see each little step that goes from easiest to hardest. If a child gets frustrated, remind them of their Trying Power and create a just right challenge for them. The Hero jammies are a great example of clothes to start working with when learning how to get dressed and undressed.

Taking off socks
Taking off shoes
Taking off elastic pants
Taking off underwear
Taking off a jacket
Taking off a pullover shirt
Pulling up elastic pants/underwear
Putting on pants
Putting on a jacket
Putting on an overhead shirt (not concerned about front/back)
Putting on socks
Putting on shoes
Completing fasteners

As you can see getting dressed can include several mini-challenges and plenty of opportunities to encourage them to try to do the next skill once they have mastered one.

Playing with Puzzles:

Puzzles offer the perfect opportunity to flex our Trying Power muscle. Puzzles can be easily graded for kids, offers a variety of types, and can cater to your child’s unique interests. Below are ways that puzzles can be graded to match the skill level of your child while also working towards that next step.

Start with inset puzzles with few pieces
Hide those pieces in sight around a room
Try interlocking puzzles with no more than 9 pieces with only 1 or 2 pieces not put together
Increase the number of pieces not put together to 3-4 out of 9
Have them try to put all 9 together with some help
Increase number of pieces
Use a large floor puzzle
Use a 24pc puzzle with a wooden frame
Continue to increase number of pieces

Hartie is a great tool to use as a Trying Power Buddy to keep kids motivated while playing with puzzles.

In the Playground

The playground is a great environment to really hone in on practicing a child’s trying power. A lot of the time kids test their skills on a playground because they see older kids playing. On the other hand, kids can be really hesitant on playground equipment due to sensory differences. Knowing your child’s sensory profile and best ways to support them is key in this type of environment. Hartie can be a great companion when playing at the playground as a reminder to try new things, that feeling safe in their body is a feeling to trust, and a reminder that positive self-talk is a great tool to use. When using their trying power on playgrounds kids can explore new playground equipment and then learn the importance of safe risky play to build confidence.

Below are some tips for developing Trying Power at a playground

Practice positive self-talk on your way there. Discuss how we all have a hero inside of us.
Talk to Hartie like you would talk to your child and make Hartie jump or swing or go down the slide
Demonstrate for your child
Remind them that it is okay to feel unsure but you are there to keep them safe

Dr Calli Studebaker