How to Help Your Child Overcome the Fear of Making Mistakes in Front of Others

Understanding Your Child’s Fear of Being Wrong

“What if I get it wrong and everyone laughs?” If you’ve heard your child whisper these words — or seen them shut down when called on in class — you know the fear is real. For many children between the ages of 6 and 12, the idea of making a mistake in front of others feels terrifying. It’s not just about getting an answer wrong; it’s about being seen failing. And at this age, social acceptance feels as vital as air.

As parents, it’s heartbreaking to watch. We want our children to be brave enough to raise their hands, ask questions, and try — even when they’re not sure. But too often, fear of judgment shuts those instincts down. So what can we do?

The Role of Shame, Perfectionism and Early School Experiences

It often starts small: a teacher corrects an answer bluntly, a classmate snickers, or an older sibling teases. Over time, these experiences feed an inner belief that it’s safer to stay silent than to risk getting it wrong. Combine this with the natural perfectionism many children develop — especially those who are highly sensitive or academically driven — and you get a child who paralyzes themselves with fear, especially in classroom settings.

One way to gently begin unraveling this fear is to help your child reframe mistakes as stepping stones rather than failures. But to do that, they need repeated, safe opportunities to try and "fail" without shame.

Shifting the Narrative: Home as a Safe Space to Get It Wrong

Children need places where they can safely be imperfect. Home should absolutely be one of them. This means rethinking how we approach academic support at home. Are we correcting quickly? Are we praising only the right answers? Or are we creating space for messy thinking, guesses, and playful exploration?

Consider inviting your child to teach you something they’re unsure about. If your child struggles with math, jokingly ask them to be your math tutor. When they get stuck, celebrate the effort: “Wow, I love how you tried a different method. That’s exactly what good learners do.”

This kind of dialog may feel unnatural at first — especially if you’re balancing homework help with cooking dinner — but moments like these chip away at perfectionism. And for kids with confidence issues, genuine encouragement counts far more than surface-level praise.

Use Storytelling to Defuse Anxiety

Anxiety thrives in the unknown. When kids fear embarrassment, part of what they’re imagining is a dramatic, irreversible moment of shame. One way to shift that loop is through story-based experiences where your child can process similar fears at a distance — from the safety of fiction.

This is where tools that personalize learning through narratives can be quietly powerful. Some parents find that turning lessons into audio stories where their child is the hero helps reduce performance anxiety. In apps like Skuli (available on iOS and Android), you can convert lessons into personalized audio adventures, where your child hears their name woven into the story — solving puzzles, navigating challenges, learning without the weight of being watched. It’s fun, yes. But it also builds a sense of capability they carry back into classrooms.

Start Conversations that Normalize Mistakes

Children tend to think adults always know what they’re doing. So, when you share your own small failures — missing a turn, forgetting lunch, burning dinner — you're teaching a crucial message: mistakes are common, survivable, and (sometimes) funny.

You can deepen these lessons further through reflection. Try asking: “What’s something you got wrong this week?” Make it into a game — something everyone in the family answers. Reflect on how each mistake helped you grow, what you learned from it, or how it didn’t end in disaster. When these stories become routine, shame loses its grip.

If your child deeply internalizes mistakes (especially if they’re showing signs of low academic confidence), regularly check in about these feelings. Help them name the fear (“I’m scared of being laughed at”) and offer perspective: “You’re not alone. Everyone messes up — even your teacher.”

Encouragement Over Correction

How we respond when kids get things wrong matters. Instead of, “No, that’s not right,” try, “Interesting guess! Let’s think it through together.”

This doesn’t mean shielding your child from the reality of being wrong — it means wrapping that reality in support. Slow down. Smile when they try, even when they don’t quite hit the mark. Watch which words land. Over time, this develops the kind of trust that allows kids to be bolder in and out of the classroom.

Also, avoid over-praising or hollow affirmations; the goal is honest encouragement that reflects effort and process, not just outcome.

When Play Becomes a Classroom for Confidence

One hidden solution? Play. Unstructured, creative, make-a-mistake-and-try-again play. In play, kids forget about judgment. They try new roles, test out ideas, get knocked down (figuratively or literally), and get back up. This cultivates resilience in a way worksheets can’t.

If your evenings are packed with homework and structure, carve out time for Lego stories, role-play, backyard theater, or even silly family trivia games. These environments allow risk-taking without shame — and can be more powerful in building courage than you might expect. (Why play builds real self-confidence dives deeper into this idea.)

Your Presence Matters More Than You Know

At the heart of everything is connection. When kids know they are safe with you — heard, accepted, guided gently — it creates an emotional cushion they can carry into more challenging spaces. Be the calm anchor when they spiral about “messing up.” Be the one who reflects confidence back at them when theirs feels shaky.

And remember: overcoming the fear of being wrong in front of others takes time. But with your compassion, patience, and a few thoughtful strategies, your child can slowly reclaim the courage to try, again and again.

If you’re navigating this with your child right now, you might also find comfort in our guide on helping children handle criticism without losing confidence.