Hope and the Oops Days!

’Hi! I’m Hope. I’m your friendly “Try-Again” coach. (I also coach snacks.)

Persistence means we keep trying, step by step, like climbing big stairs one by one. We also use Bounce-Back Power. When something goes wrong, we come right back like a bouncy ball—Boing!

Look at Tim trying to ride his bike. He wobbles, he wiggles, and then... Plop! Tim looks down, rubs his leg, and says, “Oh my! My knees are shocked!”

“Let’s do the Try-Again Steps,” I say gently. Tim breathes deep, tries one small step, and rides for three seconds! I cheer loudly, “That is THREE WHOLE SECONDS OF AWESOME!”

Nearby, Reena works on a big, colorful puzzle. She crosses her arms and sighs. “This puzzle is being very rude to me,” she says with a grumble.

“When it’s tricky, we talk kindly to ourselves,” I whisper. Reena nods and says, “I can do hard things.” She tries again and finds a corner piece—pure puzzle treasure!

Sometimes we fall, and sometimes we feel stuck. But we can always do one of these things: try again, ask for help, or celebrate a small win!

Trying again is how brave kids are made. Every time you try—even a tiny try—you grow a little braver inside. What will you try again today?