Has Your Child Developed Frustration Tolerance Yet?

Here’s something most parents never hear from a teacher:

The best students struggle more than anyone else.

See, for most of my time in classrooms, I was actually an English teacher, not an art teacher.

And over the years, I noticed something important:

The best readers and the best artists have something powerful in common.

Not talent.
Not IQ.
Not even creativity.

It’s frustration tolerance.

Frustration tolerance is that invisible skill that keeps a child going when things get hard.

What Strong Readers Do When It Gets Hard

When a poor reader encounters a complex text, their eyes glaze over, they check out, and wish they were home playing video games.

But I could spot the strong readers from across the classroom.

They leaned in closer to the page.
They re-read.
They annotated.

They were just as confused—in fact, the better readers had way more questions.

Because they leaned in.
They accepted the challenge.

And they were building serious mental muscles.

Art Works the Same Way

The same is true in art—and in life.

Study after study shows that kids who can regulate their emotions, persist, and lean in when challenged end up more successful—not just in reading, but in academics, art, and life.

Psychologists call this effortful control—the ability to stay calm, focus, and keep trying even when things feel tough.

So as kids grow, every little “I can’t do this” or “It doesn’t look right” is a chance for them to practice that skill.

That’s why I tell parents: frustration isn’t a sign something’s wrong—it’s a sign they’re learning.

Good readers and artists are just as frustrated as the struggling ones.

The difference is, they lean in.
They don’t check out.

What We’ll Practice Together

Has your child developed frustration tolerance?

This Sunday in my Draw Without Fear: Animatronic Art Workshop, I’ll be teaching these exact lessons—just disguised as monstrously fun Halloween art.

Yes, they’ll learn cool 3D art tricks like:

✅ The top 3D forms for drawing
✅ How to invent their own custom animatronics
✅ The secrets to adding lifelike, mechanical details

And we’ll draw hilariously spooky creations like these:

But the real win?

They’ll develop their frustration tolerance.
Resilience is what we’re really after here.

Want to Give Your Family More of This Space?

👧 If you’d like a consistent place for your child to build skills like frustration tolerance through art, our signature Kids Cartoon Academy membership opens a few times a year. Join the waitlist here so you don’t miss it.

Stay creative,
Daniel