Ezekiel Builds on his Mistakes
Regret affects life decisions
One study found that children who experienced the emotion of regret went on to make better life decisions. Showing children how things might have turned out differently if they had made a different decision helps them evaluate and learn from their experiences. Eventually, this skill will help them to think of various outcomes ahead of their decision making and weigh their best options.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-40741254
Society for Research in Child Development has published this article describing the development and experience of regret in children and adolescents.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-40741254
Regret affects your mindset and beliefs
Describing a study on children’s mindset about failure, this article explores impact of temperament, culture, parents’ beliefs regarding failure, and socioeconomic status on a child’s ability to bounce back from failure.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/05/06/476884049/how-to-teach-children-that-failure-is-the-secret-to-success
Thinking about one’s own thoughts is called “metacognition.” It is this skill to reflect on one’s own thought processes that helps a child take a current outcome and figure out how to apply a lesson toward the future. https://childmind.org/article/how-metacognition-can-help-kids/
Guiding children through a decision-making process by asking questions helps them to suggest and evaluate their own solutions. This guide gives some practical examples along with developmental expectations for younger and older children. https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/mental-health-matters/social-and-emotional-learning/making-decisions
While regret can guide a person into better future decisions, in some conditions it becomes crippling. The fewer opportunities one has to revisit a decision and create a new experience, the more likely one is to experience stress and unhealthy fixation on a mistake or negative experience. This article offers several helpful steps for ensuring that one’s regret is helpful rather than toxic. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-mindful-self-express/201205/the-psychology-regret