TL;DR: We’ve all been there—the math homework is "too hard," the soccer drill is "impossible," and the iPad is about five seconds away from being launched across the room. The secret to moving from "I can't" to "I can't yet" isn't a lecture; it's seeing the underdog win. Whether it’s Miles Morales failing his way to greatness or a Celeste player dying 400 times to scale a mountain, media is a low-stakes laboratory for grit.
Quick Links to Top Picks:
- Best Movie for Grit: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
- Best Game for Perseverance: Celeste
- Best Book for Resilience: The Wild Robot
- Best "Hard" Challenge: Cuphead
There is a reason why your kid will watch a YouTuber fail a "Level 999 Obby" in Roblox for twenty minutes straight, but gives up on a long-division problem in thirty seconds. In the digital world, failure is expected. It’s part of the loop. In the real world, failure feels like a final grade.
Underdog stories—whether they are movies, books, or high-difficulty games—provide a "frustration simulator." They allow kids to experience the dopamine hit of a "comeback" without the actual risk of failing a grade or getting cut from a team. When we talk about a growth mindset, we’re talking about the belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. Underdogs are the living, breathing (or pixelated) embodiment of that theory.
In the parenting world, we often worry about "rage-quitting." We see our kids getting heated over Fortnite or a difficult level in Super Mario Maker 2 and our instinct is to say, "If it's making you this mad, turn it off."
But wait. That frustration? That’s the growth mindset trying to load.
Video games are unique because they require failure to progress. You cannot beat Hades on your first try. It is literally impossible. You have to die, lose your progress, upgrade your skills, and try again. This is the "Underdog Effect" in real-time. The player starts as a "noob" (to use the parlance of our times) and through sheer repetition, becomes a master.
Ages 10+ This is arguably the best "growth mindset" game ever made. You play as Madeline, a girl climbing a mountain while literally battling her inner demons (anxiety and self-doubt). It is incredibly difficult, but every time you die, the game puts you right back at the start of the screen.
- The Lesson: The game actually tracks your deaths, but at the end, it tells you to be proud of your death count because it means you were learning. That is peak growth mindset.
Ages 9+ Don't let the 1930s cartoon aesthetic fool you; this game is "Ohio" levels of weird and brutally hard. It’s a series of boss battles that require frame-perfect timing.
- The Lesson: It teaches "grit" because you will fail. A lot. But the satisfaction of finally beating a boss after 50 tries is a core memory in resilience.
We’ve moved past the era of the cheesy 80s training montage (though The Karate Kid still slaps). Modern underdog stories are a bit more nuanced about the mental toll of trying and failing.
Ages 8+ Miles Morales is the ultimate modern underdog. He’s not just fighting villains; he’s fighting the expectation that he’ll never be as good as the "original" Spider-Man.
- Why it works: Miles fails constantly throughout the first two acts. He can't stick to walls on command, he can't turn invisible when he wants to, and he gets left behind by the "pros." His "leap of faith" is the ultimate growth mindset moment—doing the thing before you’re 100% sure you can.
Ages 7+ This movie had no business being as good as it was. It deals with Puss realizing he’s on his last life and he’s actually... scared.
- Why it works: It moves the underdog narrative from "I'm physically weak" to "I am emotionally overwhelmed." It shows that growth often means asking for help and admitting you don't have all the answers.
Ages 9+ Okay, it’s a classic for a reason. If your kid is into sports, this is the gold standard. It’s a bit slow-paced for kids used to MrBeast edits, but the payoff is worth it.
- Why it works: Rudy has zero natural talent. He wins through "effort," which is the cornerstone of Dweck's research.
If your kid is more of a reader (or you’re trying to encourage it), books offer a deeper look into the internal monologue of an underdog.
Ages 7-12 Roz is a robot stranded on an island of animals who hate her. She is the ultimate outsider. She doesn't have "survival" programmed in, so she has to learn it by observing.
- The Lesson: Adaptation. Growth mindset isn't just "trying harder"; it's "trying differently."
Ages 8-12 Auggie Pullman was born with facial differences and enters a mainstream school for the first time in 5th grade.
- The Lesson: This is an underdog story about social resilience. It’s about the "grit" required just to show up when you feel like the world is looking at you sideways.
If you sit your kid down and say, "Son, notice how Miles Morales exhibited a growth mindset by persisting through his failures," he will glitch out and go back to watching Skibidi Toilet memes.
Instead, try these "stealth" conversation starters:
- The "Level Up" Analogy: When they’re frustrated with school, ask: "Is this a Level 1 problem or a Boss Battle? What upgrades do we need to beat it?"
- Highlight the Suck: When you're watching a movie and the hero fails, don't ignore it. Say, "Oof, that was embarrassing. I would have wanted to quit right there. Why do you think he didn't?"
- Celebrate the Death Count: In games like Celeste or Minecraft survival mode, celebrate the "fails." "Man, you've fallen off that ledge ten times and you're still going? Your frustration tolerance is actually cracked." (Note: "Cracked" is a good thing in gamer-speak).
- Ages 5-7: Focus on "The Power of Yet." Use shows like Bluey (the "Bike" episode is a masterclass in growth mindset) to show that everyone struggles.
- Ages 8-12: Introduce "high-challenge" games and movies where the hero loses something significant. This is the age where they start to feel "imposter syndrome" at school, so seeing Miles Morales or Auggie Pullman struggle is vital.
- Ages 13+: Real-world underdogs. Documentaries or games like Hades that deal with systemic struggle and the repetitive nature of self-improvement.
We can't protect our kids from failure, and honestly, we shouldn't. If they never fail, they never learn how to get back up.
The "Underdog Effect" in media gives them a blueprint. It shows them that the "I can't do it" phase isn't the end of the story—it's just the first ten minutes of the movie. By leaning into games that are "too hard" and movies where the hero gets beat up before they win, we're helping our kids build the mental muscle they need for the real world.
Next time your kid is screaming at a "Game Over" screen, take a breath. They aren't just losing a game; they're practicing for life.
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