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Whenever discussions around children’s success are initiated, many parents quickly bring test scores and report cards into the conversation. It’s common in many parts of the world because people have been conditioned to believe that academic excellence is the golden ticket to children’s bright future.

While true to some extent, there is a missing piece of the puzzle to it. Many people still unknowingly miss the fact that true success in life can never be achieved through academic progress alone but with qualities like grit and grace. By grit, we mean the child’s ability to persevere through challenges, remain focused on long-term goals, and bounce back from setbacks stronger than before. On the other hand, grace means a child’s emotional intelligence. You can view it as the ability to handle both victory and defeat with dignity, show empathy toward others, and maintain composure under pressure.

At Delhi Public School Sushant Lok, one of the best school in Gurgaon, we firmly believe that grit and grace are far more than merely “nice-to-have qualities.” Instead, they are non-negotiables to achieve success in every area of one’s life. Hence, at our school, we put focused effort into fostering grit and grace among our students through co-curricular activities right from a young age.

If you’re wondering how co-curricular activities contribute to building grit and grace in children, the following points will clear all your doubts. So, read till the end.

• Learning to ‘Fail Forward’ through Sports and Competitions

Nothing teaches resilience to children like sports and competitive activities. When your kids participate in any sport like basketball or a theatre play, they’re more likely to miss a crucial shot or miss a few lines at the beginning.

No doubt, it may make children experience disappointment, but that happens in a controlled environment where they learn to process and overcome setbacks. It isn’t about building character for character’s sake because children who learn to fail forward develop a growth mindset that transforms how they approach challenges throughout their lives.

According to us, such early disappointments coupled with a failing forward approach help nurture children distinctly, aiding them to become adults who view obstacles as growth opportunities instead of threats. As a result, they grow into individuals who know how to positively bounce back from rejections, difficulties, or whatever life throws at them. Their grace is also enhanced as they learn to congratulate opponents, accept constructive criticism, and support teammates through their struggles.

• Building Emotional Regulation Under Pressure

We at Delhi Public School Sushant Lok have always believed that performance-based activities provide the best opportunities for children to experience and manage anxiety, excitement, and pressure. For example, when your kids participate in a debate competition or recital, they learn to regulate their emotions when it matters most.

We’ve seen kids who develop emotional regulation skills grow into adults who think clearly during job interviews, maintain composure during conflicts, and make sound decisions under stressful situations. Hence, if you want your kids to develop the grace to handle criticism professionally or enhance their resilience to recover from public mistakes, encourage them to participate more in their school’s co-curricular activities.

• Developing Persistence Through Long-Term Commitment

Most educational institutions nowadays have started providing co-curricular activities like learning a new dance style or a new musical instrument. This is primarily because these abilities can nurture children’s grit and grace. The reason it works is because learning these skills involves delayed gratification and persistent effort. So, for instance, when your kids practice scales for months before producing beautiful music or refining their dancing style, they develop neural pathways associated with patience and long-term thinking. It even builds the psychological stamina needed to pursue meaningful goals throughout life.

We have witnessed that children who learn persistence through co-curricular activities become adults who understand that meaningful achievements require sustained effort. It makes them more likely to succeed in whatever career path they choose.

• Fostering Teamwork and Empathy

Co-curricular activities like sports, theatre plays, debates, volunteering, or others involving group participation help foster grit and grace in children in a very effortless and natural manner. It develops empathy in children by making them learn to understand different perspectives, support others through challenges, and celebrate collective success.

So, whenever you see your child encouraging a struggling teammate or adapting their communication style to work with teammates of different personalities, they are basically sharpening their emotional intelligence. These experiences help them become phenomenal collaborators, excellent leaders, and supportive friends/family members excelling in all areas of their lives. In fact, we have also seen its benefits extend to children’s academic life, improving their overall performance and growth.

Conclusion

If you always thought participating in co-curricular activities is a waste of time and doesn’t really add to your child’s growth and success, the points discussed above may have given you a new perspective. Grit and grace may sound like regular good-to-have qualities, but they’re a must-have to ensure lifelong success.

At Delhi Public School Sushant Lok, ranked among the top schools in Gurgaon, we have always encouraged our students to participate in co-curricular activities as we’ve carefully selected activities that complement their academic growth. While our academic curriculum ensures our pupils develop unmatched academic prowess, our co-curricular activities are specially planned to help them grow physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally.

So, if you want your kids to benefit from holistic growth, encourage them to make co-curricular activities a normal part of their daily life.